The Seductress
by Toyoko
Summary: Left to fend for her own,Kyoko comes upon a shop that takes her in and trains her as a seductress. But as the years go by she realizes that something is missing though she does not know what. Who or what will show her what has been lacking all along?
1. Prologue

**Welcome to my new (and first) Skip Beat fanfic! I hope I do well in depicting the crazy Kyoko and sexy Ren…oh and the dog Sho. Please take care of me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat, if I did Sho would have long since become Kyoko's lapdog. Woof, woof! Muahahaaa….**

_Prologue_

It's hard to forget that rainy night two years ago, after all, I had no food, I had only the tattered clothes hanging off me and I certainly had no home…at least not anymore. It was at first hard for me to believe that I, Kyoko Mogami, had lost everything with a simple word and a wave of fingers. Unappreciated, that was what I was. Unappreciated and meaningless, made to live on the street, after all, where else could I go?

A shop, well lit up with the words, "The Seductress" had somehow caught my attention that night. I don't know why I stumbled over there, knocked on a window and begged the lady who opened it for kindness. But, she never wasted anytime in assisting me. The catch was, I had to sign a contract that would bound me to her business until I was 18. Then, I was just a 15 year old girl on the brink of 16 and I was starving…and I had nowhere else to go. I didn't hesitate to say yes.

And just like that, my whole world took on a new shape. I was handed over to my senpai, Kotonami Kanae who acted as my sensei – teaching me all there was to learn about the business.

It took me months to be able to entertain a visitor all by myself without any mishaps and though I was greatly discouraged that it had taken me 3 months to learn their craft, they applauded me and told me I was excelling beautifully.

Our business had rules, but there was only one that mattered. **Never Let a Customer Have You**. And that was it. On several occasions I had come close to have what was left of my innocence taken away from me, but I managed every time to find a way to send out my customer. I was not a whore therefore I refused to be treated as such. I was someone who would relieve the stress of her customers, make them forget about their hardships and in a way…tempt them and torture them. After all, many of our customers found pleasure in being tortured.

But after a while I found myself lacking something, and I began to crave it. The worst part was…I had no idea what it was that I wanted. It was suggested to me that a teenage girl such as myself wanted an easier life, with a boy that loved me. But I had no use of the word love. I had loved someone before. I had loved him so deeply that I did not care what would happen to me, I only wanted him to be eternally happy. And so by choosing to love him, I had ended my own life in the hopes of making his better. A silly, naïve mistake on my part, just look at where that had gotten me: sleeping on the streets, begging passing people for money to buy food and now enticing men for a living. Loving him had landed me in the business of seduction.

Damn you! Damn you…Shotaro!

**I know it's short, but it's just an introduction. I plan on making the rest of the chapters just a little longer. ^_^. Hope you enjoyed it, please tell me if you did…or didn't. Flames are totally welcome.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Ah…my first Skip Beat story! How exciting! I hope you have a good read! Please report all errors to me so that I can…you know…fix them! I've decided to start this fic out with a T rating and try to keep it that way. I know the title screams M, but…I tend to not cross the borderline. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat, neither do I own a crafty addition to this disclaimer.**

_Chapter 1_

Tsuruga Ren couldn't let anyone see him like this! His eyes widened as a light from an approaching car turned a corner and drove onto the practically deserted street. With inhuman speed and agility he slipped into a filthy alley, pressing his slim body against the old bricks, praying that the person who was driving would not see him.

The car passed and with it, Ren's fear filled thoughts. What the hell was wrong with him? He stepped out onto the road again and continued walking. He was dressed as Kain Heel, a man who looked like he was out for blood, no one could see through the disguise and notice it was actually Tsuruga Ren, number one male in Japan, underneath it. Rather, no one could see through the murderous aura that he was giving off.

He continued to walk, the scene that had taken place just a few minutes down the road replying itself in his head. What had he done to the man? There were gaps in his memory and vaguely he could remember getting upset at a stranger who had been harassing a young lady in a dark corner. The memory after that was him standing over a bloodied and battered body with police sirens in the distance. He had took off immediately, slinking in and out of strategic alleys eventually ending up lost. When he had realized that he was both out of harm's way and in a strange, littered environment, he had not panicked because his character's dangerous vibe would serve as his shield.

Despite the menacing appearance he kept up, his mind was reeling with regret, fear and old memories. He quickly forced the dark memory to the back of his head, making the feelings of regret and fear fill him instead. If he thought about _that_, there was no telling whether he would lose his cool again.

He looked up at the buildings, a specific one catching his attention. Its bright neon sign lit up the night and all eyes were bound to be attracted by it as it was the only one of its kind on the entire street. He stopped to gaze up at it, reading the words with interest. 'The Seductress' was what it read and for a minute he gambled about whether or not to enter. Upon weighing each choice and its possible outcome in that minute, he decided not to chance it. It could be a brothel for all knew. Just as he took his eyes from the sign and began walking, a window suddenly opened and a girl popped out of it, frightening him.

"Goodnight sir! I'm Mimori! Welcome to our place of business," she beamed, flashing her long silky hair in a way that showed she was definitely an employee of the strange place.

"I'm not interested," he said in his darkest voice. He was surprised when she didn't flinch at all. Instead she reached out and took his hand in hers.

"But sir, you don't know what we specialize in," she said, locking her fingers around his. She looked behind her and shouted at someone to open the front door. Immediately two doors slid open. Two pairs of hands grabbed his other free hand and pulled him in as the girl named Mimori let go and closed the window.

The doors were closed behind him and he found himself in a big room, dimly lit with low seats arranged in a semi circle. To the right corner of the room was a bar. Behind the counter was Mimori and she was serving two men who had already had too much to drink. Ren could notice her smile flirtatiously at them despite their obvious lack of youth. At the back of the room he noticed how the owner (it would seem) built stalls into the one room. While he was curious to find out what lay behind those three stalls, a part of him already knew.

There was endless chattering around him as the girls guided him over to the last stall, its content hidden by a flimsy curtain. He noticed a man exit the first stall before he was forced into the third one. The man had been happily pushing his shirt into his pants, his belt hanging from his pants.

"This is your lucky night, sir. This is one of our most accomplished," a girl's voice said before he was pushed into the stall, the curtain falling close behind him. He had to bend a little to fix into the space, his height acting as a disadvantage. Inside was as dark as a starless sky and therefore he was surprised when a voice spoke to him.

"Please sit," a female's voice came out of the darkness. Her sentence was followed by the lighting of an overhead lap. He immediately noticed how prepared the stall was, the ground was littered with fluffy cushions. He lowered himself to sit on them, looking up at the girl who had spoken. She had long auburn hair and a slim body that was not very well hidden behind her slinky outerwear…or was it her underwear? He could not tell.

"I am not interested in whatever services you provide," he began.

"Then why are you in my room?" She asked innocently, lowering herself to lie down on the cushions. He noticed how she provocatively posed herself by lying on her side, her dress following the shape of her body. The neckline had shifted to the side and exposed a great deal of her chest, though there was not much.

"It seems your friends thought I should see you," he continued. He couldn't help but admire her. When was the last time he had been with a woman? He could not tell. She smiled innocently at his statement.

"Then that means that you are in need of some relaxation. What form do you prefer?" She asked, focusing her eyes on him.

"Not your kind," was his answer, but he could not get up and leave. There was something about her that demanded his attention, his male attention. She had whet his appetite just by speaking to him.

"You silly man," she giggled, running her hand slowly up her stomach, resting it on her breast. He had followed her every moment, "I don't offer that kind of relief. I am not a whore, I am just a seductress," she answered with that bright childish look in her eyes.

"Isn't that the same thing?" He asked, his eyes fixed on her breast. She noticed and tried to hide a smile, but failed.

"Would you like to?" She asked, reaching for his hand before he could answer. She grasped it gently and slowly brought it to rest on her flat stomach. She closed her eyes and breathed. In and out. Up and down. Relaxed. Her meaningless actions had done something to Ren that he could not understand. Now…now he really wanted to touch her. He found his hand slowly creeping up her stomach, her hand just resting on his. She smiled, her eyes still closed, as his hand came to a pause right below her treasured jewels. He stopped and told himself that she was probably a teenage girl caught up in this business. He couldn't allow himself to attack her, he would not do what his inner beast was telling him to do.

"Is there something wrong…sir?" She asked and he immediately got reminded of a school girl having an affair with her teacher.

"I do not wish to," he said and withdrew his hand. She sat up and leaned forward toward him, propping herself up by placing both her hands on his thighs, dangerously close to his groin.

"Then tell me…what do you wish to do?" She asked.

"I will leave and never return here. You are a child. I do not waste my time on children," he answered her, grabbing one of her wrists, aiming to remove it from his thigh. Tears sprung to her eyes so quickly that he froze in his actions. She let out a short gasp of pain and fell onto his chest, one hand on his thigh, the other tucked between their connected bodies.

"Sir! My duty is to help you relief your stress. If you go now, I will feel so useless and stupid. Let me…help you," she said, gazing up at him with her tears shining in her eyes. He got hypnotized looking at her. How perfectly she had switched her emotions. If this was acting…no…it wasn't! It was too real.

Slowly her face crept towards his until he could smell her strawberry breath on his lips. He could not back down, she was pulling him in. And just like that she kissed him, a guilty kiss, her lips even quivering against his, her final stream of tears falling down her cheeks. He found himself wiping them away gently as she broke from him, a look of pure pleasant surprise on her face.

"How…how do you feel now?" She asked, her small chest lifting and falling delicately.

"Awakened," he said, his eyes unable to move from her face. A smile broke out on her lips – simple joy.

"I am happy that I could help you," she said and backed away from him, going back to laying on her side and gazing up at him as if he was the most enthralling person she had ever seen. Any normal man would have thought that she was in love with him, but as for him, Tsuruga Ren, love was a much more complicated matter.

"I…I should leave," he said. She smiled at him in return, a truly happy smile.

"I will see you…soon then, Sir," she said hopefully. Ren hesitated in his answer. If he said no he would hurt her feelings, but if he said yes, he would be lying and he would still end up hurting her feelings.

"If I need relief from my stress, then I will be back," he said and stood up. She scrambled to her feet also, a look of sadness filling her eyes. She stepped toward him, able to stand straight in the stall as she was just about half his height.

"Then…goodbye…Sir," she said and tipped to kiss him on the cheek. She blushed and cast her eyes down after. With his eyes on her he slowly stepped out of the stall, the curtain closing off his view of the girl that had captivated him in just a matter of seconds.

XXX XXX

Kyoko sighed and allowed her shoulders to slump as her extremely tall customer walked out. She had found him interesting, mostly because he was so handsome and had drawn a wonderful act out of her. It had been a while since she had done the school girl routine so impeccably. All the other customers wanted to be touched and wanted to touch her. None had had an ounce of resistance within them. He on the other hand…the area right below her breasts burned from his touch still and slowly she put her hand to the spot. Why hadn't he taken advantage of her when she had been acting so vulnerable? She sighed and walked up to the curtain, peeking out into the bigger room. The sliding doors were being closed behind her customer, the last man to leave the shop.

"Kyoko," someone called to her. She jumped slightly at the sudden interruption and flung back the curtain all the way to answer the person who had called her.

"Ah! Moko-san!" Kyoko's face lit up when she saw her senpai helping Mimori with cleaning up the bar. Kanae's eyes narrowed at the use of the nickname they had agreed to use in private.

"Didn't I tell you not to…" She began to fume from half way across the room.

"Yes, yes, I know, Kotonami - senpai," Kyoko said, stepping out of her stall. Kanae's anger quickly subsided as Kyoko joined her, sitting on a stool, ready to discuss their night.

"Ugh! I keep on getting the decrepit ones," Kanae said leaning against the counter to talk to her best friend and kouhai, "he wanted me to…to…stimulate him!" She ended. Kyoko stifled a giggle. Moko-san always had a way of making her bad experiences seem funny and bearable.

"Did you see the last one Kyoko got tonight?" The giggling Mimori asked, also propping herself up against the counter. Kanae raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that her attention was piqued.

"What about him?" Kanae asked, turning to Kyoko. Kyoko couldn't help the tingling feeling in her cheeks. She had found him devastatingly sexy, almost dangerous also. His height was unlike any she had seen before, his words…his words still lingered in her head for what reason she did not know. After all, she had vowed never to succumb to a man's tricks ever again.

"He was…unlike any of our other customers," she simply said, her face an indifferent mask. She could not let them know what her real first impression of him was. When he had entered and she had lit the lamp, she knew then and there that if he had told her to compromise her one rule of life just for his sake…she probably would have. She scolded herself for her thinking. Wasn't it a pretty face that had forced her to live this life? She would forget about her customer. She would never see him again anyway.

"Really?" Kanae asked and all the other girls in the room paused in their various activities to listen to what Kyoko had to relate.

"Well…for one he talks," she said. She could hear a single gasp resound around the big room. No one would believe her straight off the bat like that, after all, they only got men who grunted as communication. The customers they normally got had mistaken their shop for a brothel and had staggered in with their pants below their ankles, already drunk from their night out. They rarely spoke, they just lay back and let the seductress attend to him. They were always somewhat disappointed that their seductress would not have sexual intercourse with them or stimulate them in the way they wanted, but, they always came back.

"Does that mean that…that he…" Kanae stuttered. Kyoko nodded.

"He's an actual person," Kyoko said.

"He didn't ask you to…?" Kanae started. Kyoko shook her head and then rested it in the palm on her hand.

"No…no he didn't," she said and everyone stared at her wide eyed.

"And he was soooo handsome," Mimori swooned as her eyes took on a glazed look. With another huge gasp, they stared in disbelief at the auburn haired seductress.

Whenever the occasional attractive man came along, the girl who was attending to him that night would give him full access to her body, every inch of it. It had happened to everyone in the shop except for Kyoko and the reason was obvious. The customer that they had given themselves to had been their first love. She had been through that before, her experience projecting her years ahead of her so called senpais. Most of the girls had fallen into the business at a younger age than Kyoko in the efforts of supporting their family or themselves. They did not know what life was like outside of the shop. It wasn't like they were missing anything anyway.

"Damn…I wish I had seen him," Kanae mumbled to herself.

"Moko-san, are you once again interested in men?" Kyoko asked, her once upon a time innocence coming back in that sentence. Moko-san blushed red and folded her arms, turning away from her friend.

"Don't embarrass me by using ambiguous statements," she said through barred teeth. Kyoko smiled.

"But, Moko-san…you always talk of how much you hate our customers. You've never taken any real interest in any of them," Kyoko said. Kyoko had been around Moko-san long enough to read her moods and maybe even her mind. They knew each other's every secret and Kyoko knew that Moko-san had only loved one man…the customer that she had been deeply involved with. When he stopped visiting…Moko-san lost all real interest in men.

"So? I'm still a girl! I like a little eye candy every now and then!" Moko-san answered through gritted teeth. Kyoko only smiled at her friend's response and body language. Ah, Moko-san, best friend, teacher and the only one she could trust.

**So…how was the first chapter? I hope it wasn't boring or anything like that! Anyway, please leave a review! Flames are welcome too in case you were wondering. Anything to help me with this piece of work.**

**Thanks goes out to all who reviewed, albeit not many, I still love you all!:**

**Verta Blanc, KiroNoMitsuki, Kim, bringme2life and Voidy!**


	3. Chapter 2

**REWRITTEN AND REPOSTED! ENJOY!**

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I can't believe it! :'(. I had been planning to do something like Kyoko having a Love Me Coupon in her possession but not knowing who to give it to…but somebody already wrote that! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! My brilliant idea just died like that! I'm gonna go cry now. :'(.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat…..neither do I own another Skip Beat idea! NOOOOOOO!**

_Chapter 2_

With his midnight black hair splashed across his pillows and his naked body sprawled across his bed, Ren stared at his dark ceiling, only one thing on his mind…that girl he had been seduced by the night before. He found it impossible to forget her, she had totally captivated his mind, controlling his thoughts perfectly. Several times during the day he had found himself thinking that he had only been intrigued in the young thing because he had not had a woman in a while, he could not specify the exact time. Yet, other times, he kept seeing her delicate body beneath her gauzy dress and kept feeling her guilty trembling lips on his. She had tasted so sweet, her lips like strawberry, her breath like mint. A minted strawberry kiss was what she had used to brand herself on him. She had stirred him up and he was guessing that what he was feeling was probably how an addict who had forlorn his practice felt. She had left a great impression on him…and he was coming to the conclusion that he had to see her again.

"No…she's just a child," he whispered to himself.

'A child who teased you with her body…a child who is in the business of seducing men for a living,' his inner voice replied.

"No…I don't…" he kept trying to fight back his beast.

'You know you want her…you know how badly you need her...and you know exactly where she is,' it answered him, teeth bared. It would not spare him the trouble tonight. With those thoughts, a fire surged through the disguised Tsuruga Ren and images of her flashed through his mind. Whatever she had been taught, she had been taught well. Everything about her was thoroughly inviting; her voice as innocent as a child's, her body as lithe as a willow tree and her face breathtaking in the light of the lamp. With the silence growing in the room and his thoughts of her pressuring him, he gave in to the temptation.

With his clothes on, he took a final look at the dark and empty apartment he was going to leave behind for probably the rest of the night. The familiar feeling of loneliness tugged at his heart and with the slam of the door, he left. He would find the girl who had seduced him, and he would satisfy his curiosity.

XXX XXX

It didn't take long to find the strange business place, the sign was a great deal of help. Something was different this time though. Although the girl named Mimori was sitting at the window, she did not grasp his hand like last time, she gave him a welcoming smile and extended her hand.

"At this business, we accept only US dollars," she said, her smile absolutely enchanting.

"And how many US dollars do I have to pay to enter?" He asked, his voice devoid of the real emotion he was feeling. Standing so close to her made him somewhat nervous, a little expectant and a whole lot curious. What did the auburn haired goddess have in store for him tonight? His hands ached, a dull pain and he couldn't help thinking it was because he wanted to touch her soft skin and run his fingers along her lips and then along her sleek body. He fought back a blush at that thought and then berated himself for thinking of a child that way…and for wanting to blush like an idle young schoolboy.

'I am only curious. I have only come here to talk…and to soothe my loneliness,' he thought. No matter how many women came on to him, or how long his manager Yukihito Yashiro remained by his side, Ren could not help feeling millions of miles away from them, in his own world, in his own world that hated him and day by day crushed him under its force.

"A hundred dollars per half hour," she answered smoothly, her face never faltering. As she gazed on at the dark figure that she thought was amazingly gorgeous, she ignored his aura. Many times before they had catered to gangsters and thugs and they had managed to keep them under their control. She had no reason to fear the handsome stranger.

She had expected his eyebrows to fly up and for him to exclaim in surprise at the price. It didn't matter if he did, she had after all been trained how to put a man under her thumb and also how to keep him there. She knew how to make a man cooperate with her. It was her life's work.

"A fair enough price," Ren murmured. Mimori could see herself in her mind's eye looking very shocked at how easily and without fuss he had agreed to their ludicrous price, but on the outside, her face was only all the more inviting to him and she sustained her composure as she collected his money. With a shout to her fellow employees, the doors were slid open and the man was escorted inside. Another second after that and the only sign of life on the street was the blinking sign of the strange business.

"Welcome back, sir. Do you have a specific seductress in mind?" A cute, young girl asked. She had been the one to open the door.

"Yes, the auburn haired one," he replied, glancing around at the room yet again. There were more men there that night relaxing on the seats laid out in a semi circle and already Mimori was sliding behind the bar serving tipsy old men.

A girl behind him let out a short squeak and his eyes landed on a middle aged man who had pulled down his pants in front of her in his drunken stupor. Ren's eyes narrowed in agitation as he watched the girl with the long, ebony locks smile slyly and slowly pull the man's pants back up, her hands brushing against the man in a not so innocent way.

He tore his eyes from them and tried to swat his anger away. Why was he even angry? That girl was nothing to him…absolutely nothing! But…but did that mean that his auburn haired beauty had done things like that before? He pursed his lips as he saw the strawberry scented seductress giggling like an idiot as a much older man fondled her, kissed her and made her his. His fingers curled into fists and his anger grew. The girl beside him could feel his anger and though she was strongly drawn to his handsomeness…she could feel the danger radiating from him.

'Oh Kyoko! I hope you'll be ok with this one! I can just tell he's bad news!' She thought as she smiled and gently tugged at his hand. His eyes fell to hers and her heart jumped. He was so…so…so…beautiful! Yet so forbidden. Men like him must have women at his disposal. Maybe he even disposed of them when he was finished. This thought made her gulp, but she did not hesitate to do her job. She led him to Kyoko's stall and told him to enter and that his seductress would be with him soon.

Same as the night before, inside the stall was very dark and he had to bend a little to fit in it. He gazed around, waiting for his eyes to get used to the darkness as he sat among the countless pillows on the floor.

"Why, hello good sir. May I begin by asking if there is anything special on your mind tonight?" Her voice came out of the darkness. His heart leaped as he felt her hand on his leg, gently rubbing his thigh. Her hand slipped to his inner thigh and before she could move it further up, he grabbed it. No, he could not allow it. Why was she being so forward tonight? Last night she had been much like a love sick student. And besides, he was only there to talk.

"Why don't you turn on the light, so I can see your face," he suggested. The voice rang bells in Kyoko's head. Wasn't this the same guy she had kissed the night before? The same guy who she had thought she would never see again? Impossible! It was impossible! She could feel her body shaking slightly. She had to admit it, she was scared of him. Not because of all the obvious reasons, she was scared of him because she was very much attracted to him physically.

'I…I can't! He'll make me…he'll make me go back on my promise to myself!' She thought as silence settled between them.

"I wish not to. It's more fun this way," she said, swallowing her fear and quickly hiding herself and her feelings behind one of her many characters.

"I'm not here to have fun, child," he answered, throwing her hands off of him.

"How dare you call me a child? I am a woman! A full-fledged woman, my good customer," she said bitterly as she shoved him in the chest. He barely moved.

"Who are you trying to fool? How old are you? And why do you find pleasure in seducing men?" He asked.

"My age does not determine my maturity, my actions do," she said and shoved him again, this time making sure his back hit the pillows. She climbed on top of his long body, straddling him as her fingers played with the hem of his shirt. With ease and expertise she had it over his head and off before he knew it.

"Your answer betrays your age, child. You are just a teenager," he said, grabbing a hold of her hand and raising himself up on his free elbow. What he saw in her eyes and on her face shocked him. Was this wild young woman the same one he had spent time with the previous night? No, it couldn't be!

"Aren't you a smart one tonight, sir," she said, her tone mocking. She raised an equally mocking eyebrow at him and slowly she lowered her lips to his abdomen and kissed him there, her eyes holding his captive. He was silenced by her slow kisses to his stomach. While her warm lips twisted his insides around and around into a knot, he kept wondering if those lips tasted the same as the night before. Minted strawberry. Exhilarating.

"Stop it," he said, but he knew she wouldn't, his voice hadn't been strong enough.

"Do you really want me to stop?" She asked, placing more kisses on his stomach, moving her way up to his chest, sometimes stopping her kisses to lick him. The warmth and wetness of her tongue made him dizzy. She was good, she was very good at seducing him.

Her lips came to linger over his as she pressed her smaller body to his.

"I need you to stop. You're just a child. This should be illegal," he answered, all too aware that if he wanted to taste her, he easily could.

"You are right. This indescribable pleasure that I'm giving you right now should be illegal," she said, her breath falling onto his face. He barely stopped himself from shivering. Her breath was still flavoured a wonderful minty flavor. But he didn't want to smell it, or to even feel it…damn it he wanted to taste it!

Their lips crashed against each other and Ren was left wondering who had made the first move. Her kisses were no longer innocent or shy, they were demanding something of him. Their tongues danced together in perfect sync and he found himself wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body tightly against his. She moaned in delight while her hands played with his dark hair. He felt her lips stretch into a smile as they kissed. Her lips trailed off of his, hovering over his ear.

"What's on your mind? Tell me, tell me so that I can make you ignore it. I can take away any and every stress you have, customer," she whispered. With a giggle, her teeth took hold of his earlobe and she nibbled on it playfully. Ren was temporarily paralyzed. This feeling she was stirring up in him was something he hadn't felt in many years. He wanted her, badly. She looked like a child, but proclaimed herself to be an adult. In that case, wasn't she giving him permission to treat her like he would a woman he had an interest in?

"You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into," he whispered to her and she scoffed, pulling away from him to make eye contact.

"I've known exactly what I had gotten myself into ever since I entered this business, so I don't need you to tell me," she said and slithered off of his body.

"Isn't your time up? You bore me," she said, she throwing her words over her shoulder at him. She could hear him smile.

"Is that so," he stated, sitting up properly. Her eyes flicked to his level and then away.

"Obviously or I wouldn't have said it," she snapped at him.

"Then allow me to correct you. Spend the rest of the night with me," he said and she felt a hand grasp her heart and squeeze it. It wasn't what he had said that had caught her, she had heard it many times before and she had done it many times before also. It was the tone he used. It was like he really wanted to stay with her and talk…it could only be talking, if he had wanted to touch her then he would have done it already, right?

"As long as you pay, I can't stop you from staying as long as you'd like," she said, turning to face him.

"And here I thought you'd come up with a smart-ass comment, Ms. Actress. If I was really boring you, you'd want to get rid of me the first chance you got," he answered, a smirk on his face.

"I'm a working woman, in a business like this I can't be picky. I do this every night to any guy that walks in…" she began only to trail off as light infiltrated the stall. Her customer had taken the initiative and lit the lamp overhead. She had stopped because now she could clearly see him and his lean muscled chest that seemed to stretch on forever. She tilted her head back to get a good look at him. Wow…he was really tall.

"Why don't we continue this conversation on the ground, I can't seem to stand up straight in here," he said, a small smile sitting on his lips. She nodded, unable to speak and together they sat down.

"So…like I asked, what's on your mind?" She asked.

"Do you do massages?" He asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" She snapped, her cheeks threatening to explode in red as she thought of running her hands up and down his long body. She hadn't seen such a toned and beautiful body for a long time. She was used to flab, sloppy kisses and stinky, sweaty men. But he…this customer…was perfect.

'You idiot girl! Stop thinking about him like that! You've massaged a body like that before…and looked how it turned out!' She told herself. But as she gazed on at this man, she knew his body was one of a kind, it was stronger and taller than Sho's and to top it all off, it was much more desirable than that miserable pig's!

"Because I want one…why else would I ask about it…child?" He asked, purposefully teasing her with his last word.

"I am not a child, customer!" She fumed, clenching her fists in anger.

"Call me Kain," he said and she was taken aback. Had…had he just introduced himself?

"And if I was still thinking of you as a child, I wouldn't have requested this of you," he continued. Kyoko got the sudden urge to tell him her name and to ask him what he meant, but she kept her mouth closed. She would just give him a massage and see where it went from there, since he was planning on staying the whole night it would seem.

While she searched amidst the pillows for the special lotion she always kept, she noticed the flutter of the curtain that marked the end of a customer's time.

"I won't be leaving for now, leave us alone," Kain said to the girl who could clearly be seen standing on the other side of the thin curtain.

"Um…ok," she answered and scurried away.

Kanae glanced suspiciously at Kyoko's stall and then looked around at their business place. A few of the men had already left, the lot was thinning out for the night so…why was Kyoko still busy working? She gasped when she saw the figure of Kyoko pull down the thicker curtain, blocking off any shadows that would fall against the thinner curtain. Kanae couldn't help the furrowing of her brows as she worried about her friend. She was more than anxious to find out what that strange customer was doing to his seductress. But her satisfaction was not guaranteed that night. As a matter of fact, it was in the morning, when the customer had left that the girls got to hear what had happened behind the thick curtain.

"Good decision. I do love my privacy," he teased. He was actually enjoying himself. Here he was, in the presence of a child who claimed to be a woman, his loneliness temporarily forgotten and his inner beast walking to and fro. He was intrigued and most of all, he was aroused. His curiosity had peaked, and he was now willing to satisfy it in more ways than one.

"Me too, cus…Kain," she answered, kneeling down behind him, her eyes distracted by the way his back was molded. Was he a god sent to live on earth out of punishment? He must be! No normal human being was this perfect!

"Aren't you going to get to it…seductress?" He asked.

"My name is Kyoko just so you know," she spat out, biting her tongue immediately, totally regretting giving her name away.

"Ah, Kyoko…I like it. What do your customers say when you tell it to them?" He asked, smiling to himself. Kyoko blushed behind his back as she squeezed some of the lotion onto her hands. She rubbed them together and slowly lowered them onto his back.

"Um…my other customers don't know my name," she answered as a 'pins and needles' feeling sparked in her fingertips. She drew her hands away immediately. What the hell? He definitely wasn't human! No one could make someone's fingers tingle like that! How did he do it…she had touched him before! He turned his head to the side and saw her from the corner of his eye, her hands drawn in close to her body.

"Give me your hands, Kyoko," he said. She obeyed, secretly liking the sound of her name in a man's voice. That hadn't happened in a few years. She stretched her hands over his shoulders and very gently he took hold her wrists and guided her hands to his body.

"I know what I'm doing…Kain," she said. Oh, why did she find his name cute?

"Sure you do, you just don't know how I want you to do it," he said, pulling her hands over his chest until they could stretch no more and her head was resting on his shoulder. She blushed in anger and for another reason she didn't know as her heart started beating faster. She heard him chuckle in his throat as he bent her arms so that she was hugging him.

"I can feel your heart beating against my back. It would seem I'm making you nervous," he stated, running his hands along hers.

"What a sad creature you are, thinking that the reason I'm nervous is you," she scoffed, while inwardly telling her heart to stop it! It was betraying the character she was trying to pull out.

"Then…why is your heart beating so wildly? You couldn't be thinking of another while you're with me, could you? I thought you are mine, I have bought you for tonight you know," he said.

"You talk as if I'm here for sexual favours. Get out, I don't need another guy telling me how useless I am, or discarding me after use," she said. She tried to pull her hands from around his neck, but he held them there.

"I was only joking, you know, but…what you just said…has someone hurt you before?" He asked.

"It's not in my job description to tell customers about my personal life," she said.

"But I'm no longer just a customer. I'm Kain…the man who'll seduce you, can't you see?" He asked, pulling her to him again, causing her to slam into his back.

"Seduce me? You're an even bigger dummy than I thought. You can't beat me, I'm the best in this business, you don't even know the first step," she said. She could smell him this time, and despite being stuck in a small stall, he smelled delicious, utterly manly. It was weakening her on the inside. How could a man of all species make her stomach feel so flighty? She had promised never to love or trust another man again, but here she was thinking that what she was feeling was the prelude to love. No! She was just physically attracted to him, that was all. He was a sexy, young man who had opted to spend the night with her. There were no strings attached, just pure, raw, physical attraction. She wanted him, badly. She had never felt this way before.

"Stop straying, answer my question…has someone hurt you before?" He asked. She fell silent. If she told him, would it matter? It wasn't like he could do anything to correct her past mistakes. He wasn't capable of doing anything, not even finding the idiot and beating him to death. Her customer…her Kain, wouldn't be able to do anything about it…so, why not tell him?

"Yes…but it was my fault for being so blind and stupid," she answered after the pause.

"You were young, we all have to make mistakes so that we can forge a better path for ourselves farther down in life when things really matter and besides, I wouldn't say you're the reason he hurt you."

"You weren't there…you have no idea what happened to me," she said. She couldn't help feeling comfortable pressed up on him like that. She found herself snuggling into her neck. It was really nice to do this. It just felt right.

"Are you comfortable like that? We should lie down," he said. He felt her hands slip from around his neck and she shifted from behind him to beside him. She watched as he lay down, making himself comfortable. She wished she could cuddle up beside him and fit herself perfectly into his side.

"I would have been fine the other way," she said, looking away.

"No it wouldn't. You want to get closer to me, now's your opportunity. Lie down," he said. She looked down at him and slowly lowered herself to her elbow, wondering if it was alright to place her head against his chest and maybe listen to his heartbeat.

"Rest your head on my chest, listen to my heart if you want to," he said and she almost freaked. Was he reading her thoughts or something? Slowly, she lowered her head to his chest, snuggling up to his side. She could hear the steady beat of his heart. And suddenly she could feel his hands playing with her hair. How lovely it all seemed at that moment as he hugged her to him. It all felt so…so fitting. For the first time in two years, she didn't feel as if she was craving some unknown feeling or possession, she felt strangely, at ease.

**Hey you guys…sorry about my earlier rant…but I was feeling rather dumb. Anyway, I hope it's no biggie spelling 'Cain' and 'Kain'. I rather like the 'K' better than the 'C'. ^_^ And I am immensely sorry for taking so long to update! Please forgive me! I also hope this chappie didn't seem too…you know…weird. :'(**

**Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter. I promise to try updating faster:**

**Verta Blanc, Rui, Anameniac, chaseafteryourdreams, xxsillywillyxx, Kim, alitablake, vlen, xhuizini, love-nicolie, creamy creations, Stonefeather, carolAmuto and TheRealSnowMonkey.**


	4. Chapter 3

**AHHH! I'm sooooooo sorry for making you all wait sooo long for a chapter that isn't even that awesome! I'm hoping that I haven't lost anyone and that someone will actually read this chappie!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat…which is a good thing. **

_Chapter 3_

Kain couldn't tell what time it was and that he was glad for. The small seductress was resting softly on his chest, inhaling him yet exhaling something completely euphoric with her fingers slightly curled and resting just below her chin on his upper abdomen. She rose and fell with the steady, rhythmic movement of Kain's chest. She had fallen asleep in the middle of a sentence and hadn't stirred since. It didn't take long for an atmosphere of serenity to drizzle on them and the numerous pillows.

It was because of this why Kain hadn't slept a wink all night. Everything was so still, so still that in his eyes it was perfect. As her heart beat just mere inches from his he was constantly being reminded that he was not alone…there was someone existing by his side.

His mind, unlike his body, had not remained at peace. While she slept, he had been nibbling on what she had reluctantly told him, her sleepiness seeming to help her in keeping her secrets instead of making her bumble idiotic sentences. He hadn't learned much, but with every spoken word and every flutter of her eyelashes, he found himself more and more mesmerized by her. Mainly it was because with every word she said, she only managed to build up more mystery about her life and about who she was.

XXX XXX

"Little girls can be so stupid - acting on a whim, a mere emotion," she said, her head resting on his bare chest, his hand lightly holding onto her shoulder.

"Speaking from experience, Kyoko?" He asked. She tensed.

"You call it experience; I call it a bad memory. A bad memory that will eventually, hopefully, magically fade away with time."

"Time doesn't heal all wounds as you think seductress. In fact, sometimes it only makes a person bleed more," he answered, his fingers dancing down her arm. He felt her shiver and he smiled to himself. He would make the hunter become the prey. He would show her just how good he was with women.

"You're looking at it all wrong, Kain…what else but death awaits you at the end of time? Death…the permanent cure to all types of pain," she said, her voice creating a most melancholy mood. There was something very morbid about her perspective of life.

"What a gloomy window you look through," he said, considering her statement.

"I refuse to see it any other way. The world isn't made of fairies and princes…it's made of fire-breathing dragons. Someone shouldn't need to grow up to figure it out," she murmured, a blanket of sleep covering her words.

"Hey…don't fall asleep yet. I'm not done," he said, his fingers finding hers.

"Keep your questions to yourself," she whispered, pulling her fingers away from his and curling them as they came to rest on his upper abdomen. Her breathing evened out and he knew she had fallen asleep.

XXX XXX

He slid her head from off his chest, placing it on a soft pillow. Her eyebrows furrowed and she let out a soft sigh as if she knew he was leaving her side.

"I'll come back…tonight. I'll definitely come back tonight," he whispered, staring at her closed eyes and slightly parted lips. Without thinking, he dipped his head down to hers, pausing to float just centimeters away from her lips. He was hesitating. He was hesitating because he had no reason to kiss her goodbye, or to make promises of seeing her again. She wasn't anything to him, she was not a special person in his life. She was just a girl playing the role of a woman who knew the consequences of her actions. She was just a seductress. Just a seductress…albeit an interesting one…just a seductress, nothing more.

He tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth, gently nibbling its softness hoping he would leave a mark…his mark. He tilted her head back by just a fraction and kissed her on her lips. He felt warmth on his cheek and it took him a while to notice that it was Kyoko's hand resting there. She kissed him back, her eyes closed. He closed his too and imagined that they weren't saying goodbye.

She broke away from the kiss first, turning her head away so that his lips would land on her cheek. He kissed her there and moved down to her neck.

"You should be going," she murmured sleepily, trying to ignore the dull pain in her chest.

"You won't get rid of my just like that…you'll see me tonight," he said, pulling back to look into her eyes.

"Fine…your choice. As long as you can afford me," she said, praying that he could not feel how quickly her heart was beating in her chest. She honestly didn't want him to go as yet…could she wait until the night fell before she could feel his body against hers? Blood rushed to her cheeks as she erupted into a deep blush.

"Kyoko…what do you think of coming home with me?" He asked.

"Impossible," she said, "you can't possibly afford me for that long…no one can." Kyoko pushed herself upward, forcing Kain to pull back from her.

'Where the hell did he get that idea from? Me going home with a customer…complete nonsense! I bet he thought he'd get a discount or something…bet he thought I'd be a better ride at his place, rather than here, my turf. No man is different…they just want to step on people on their way up the ladder of success,' she thought as she leaned against the wall, as farthest away from her customer as she could. Her eyes however could not leave his body and her gaze remained on him.

"What if I could make it possible?" He asked his expression solemn.

'It's only physical attraction, Kyoko. Only physical! You won't fall for this guy; you won't even get a chance to. There's no need to worry...he'll go away, just like everyone else.' She said to herself, unable to ignore how enticing he was.

"Then you would deserve a prize," she teased.

'Always in character,' Kain thought as he admired her, sitting with her back against the wall. She lying down with him had been less of a sexual tease than her erotic pose against the wall. She was in dangerous territory and she didn't even know it.

Kyoko noticed how hungrily he was looking at her and she watched his eyes move from her face all the way down to her legs. Her throat tightened and she pulled her legs up to her chin, wrapping her arms around them protectively. She got the sudden instinct to reach out to him and run her fingers lightly along his chest, tracing his muscles all the way down to…

She mentally shook her head, trying to get rid of her thoughts as she felt her cheeks get hot and possibly red. Since when had these perverted thoughts been popping up so frequently? It wasn't often that she thought this dirtily.

"Then, when I do get you into my apartment…I want something extra special from you," he said, a naughty smile spreading slowly across his face. Kyoko gulped. Was he talking about sex?

"Then it's agreed…I guarantee you that you'll never have the pleasure of seeing me sprawled across your bed. Never, Kain…never," she said, pushing her doubts aside. It definitely was impossible! Erika would charge him a fortune to bring her, Kyoko, home…she was sure of that. And no one, no one at all was willing to pay that for someone who was just a few steps away from being a slut.

XXX XXX

Kyoko hugged the coat to her body, her eyes searching for and lingering on everything! When was the last time she had left the darkness and imprisonment of the business? She hadn't even been aware of all the things that she was seeing. There were buildings a million times taller than her, and there were shops that sold things that she didn't even know of. She guessed that she looked just like a child, dazzled and intrigued by everything she could see, excited and impatient to see things she could not. And if her wide sparkling eyed expression wasn't enough of a display of her childishness, Kain holding on firmly to her hand and leading her through the maze of civilization was indisputably incriminating. It didn't help either that every few seconds he would turn around and smile kindly at her, as if he understood her amazement at seeing such sights.

A necklace suddenly caught Kyoko's eye. It was barely peeking out from under a huge teddy bear that must have accidentally been knocked over. Even though it was partly hidden, to Kyoko, it stood out like a princess in a crowd of peasants. And she stared at it, mouth slightly open as she imagined it dangling around her neck.

Kain looked back at her and noticed how her eyes were glued to something in a small shop. He followed her line of vision and saw it too…a necklace, barely visible. Was that what she had seen? Did she wantitt? He stopped walking, causing her to walk right into his side.

"Oh…I'm sorry," she stammered a little, catching Kain off guard. Where was her tough and independent persona? Had that been an act too?

"Do you want that?" He asked, looking at her.

"Yes…yes I do," she said, a smile adorning her face as she tried to get closer to it. Why had it caught her attention? Kain thought. From that angle, it didn't even look as beautiful as her, just some cheap piece of jewelry.

"Then let's go buy it," he said, pulling her with him into the store.

"Ohhh no no no no no! I can't afford that!" She said, trying to pull her hand from his firm grip.

"Then, I'll buy it for you," he said, pushing through the doors, bending so that he could enter the store. Kyoko was partially stunned into silence.

"You're…buying it…for me?" She asked, as she cocked her head to the side and gave up her resistance. Kain nodded as he walked up to the tiny Japanese man who was standing behind the counter.

'He's buying it for me?' Kyoko thought in confusion. When was the last time someone had bought something for her? Probably when she was a child, maybe her mother did. But she couldn't remember. She had always been her own rock. Of course, at one point in time she had thought of Sho as her Prince Charming and saviour, the man who would finally turn her into a fairy tale princess. Maybe that was why she put up with him for so long. Maybe she was thinking that she would be like Cinderella. Maybe she was thinking that one day, she would magically be given a dress and a carriage and ride to a party where Sho would be waiting. Then she would take his breath away, and she'd be the only girl he wanted to dance with that night. Then they would get married and live happily ever after. She scoffed…what a dream. She had been young and foolish, and even though she was maturing, there were certain things she still could not let go. Almost everything reminded her of Shotaro. She found herself thinking about him while seducing many of her customers. Of course that was understandable. Whispering dirty things into the ear of a blonde pop star was more attractive than doing the same with a middle aged man with a pot belly.

She jumped as she felt something cold around her neck, raising her hand to pull it off, realizing halfway that it was a necklace. And not just any necklace…it was the one she had been eying. She twisted her head to the side to see who was putting it around her neck. It was Kain, and he was concentrating very hard on closing the clasp. She felt her heart beat quicken as she stared at him. Was she really going to spend the whole day with someone like him? Why did he even want her in his home? What was he planning to do with her?

But did any of these questions really matter? She was physically attracted to him…any girl would be…but she doubted she'd have to open up to him and let him into her life. He might hurt her and leave her more broken than Sho had. She would never put herself through that situation again. She would just enjoy kissing him, and hugging him and well…She gulped. What if he demanded sex from her? Of course he knew she wasn't obligated to do that, and he had resisted touching her too intimately ever since he first walked into her stall. But what if he was just afraid of getting so intimate in a practically public place?

Kain smiled as he finally closed the clasp. The necklace was actually a beautiful piece that did indeed fit his seductress. His eyes lingered on her neck before they flickered up to catch her staring at him over her shoulder. As their eyes met, she coloured red and cast her eyes down, fingering the necklace and trying to look at it.

"It fits you so well. I'm glad that you saw it, Kyoko," he said, taking a step back from her. If he hugged her right there in the shop he would be tempted to kiss her, and if he kissed her, he'd be tempted to touch her…to really touch her. He couldn't allow that to happen, at least not in public. He would wait until they were safely locked into his apartment…then he could do what he wanted to do.

"Thank you for buying it for me," she said in a soft voice, still refusing to meet his eyes. She flinched again when she felt his hand back to holding her hand.

"Then straight home we go, my seductress," he whispered to her, winking and nodding politely at the old man who had just sold him a masterpiece. She nodded, worry clouding her mind as she resumed her train of thought before he had broken it.

She still found it unbelievable that Kain had agreed to the ludicrous price that Erika had suggested! She had thought for sure that he would have backed away the moment he heard the price…but he didn't. Instead he had smiled as if the money was nothing for him to pay and had agreed immediately. Why had he paid Erika so much…just for a day with her? It was only a day and she wasn't as beautiful or physically blessed as many of the other seductresses. Why hadn't Moko-san caught his eye instead? Why her? What was he interested in?

Kain could see Kyoko battling mentally as they walked down the crowded street. She was probably wondering why he had chosen her out of all of the other girls. But he guessed she wouldn't understand if he told her how captivating she was. She outshone her other seductresses, who he was sure only uttered bull whenever they opened their mouths. Kyoko was different. So very different, and he wanted to get to know her, to make her a part of his life. To forever get rid of the constant loneliness he kept on feeling.

XXX XXX

Kyoko touched his bed gingerly as her heart raced and her eyebrows knitted themselves together in nervousness. Damn…his bed was huge…just like him. She gulped at this thought. Just how big was Kain, anyway? She crossed her fingers, hoping that he was small in that region, though all her good senses kept screaming out to her that he wasn't.

"Am I a lucky girl or what?" She asked herself sarcastically as she slowly sat down on it. She had taken a quick shower, thankful that Kain had been on the balcony all the time chatting away to someone on his cell phone. She pulled her robe together, a delicious scent rising from it. It was his scent. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, exhaling with a smile on her face. Wow…how delicious.

She lay down on the bed, smiling as her head became buried in the pillows. She couldn't help giggling as a comforting warmth spread throughout her body. She had never before been on a bed like this. She had been sleeping on a rather hard futon at the shop, and before that, it hadn't mattered to her where she had slept, just as long as her Sho was happy, just as long as her Sho was comfortable. Her smile disappeared immediately as she thought of Sho Fuwa, musician extraordinaire, second most famous and handsome man in Japan. She guessed that she should thank Ren Tsuruga for beating her most hated enemy in that category.

"Thank you Tsuruga…san," she whispered, sitting up. Shee heard a door being opened and she jumped up awkwardly and quickly. It was Kain! He must be finished with his phone call! Oh no! What was he going to do with her now?

"Kyoko, I think you'll like this view," he said, opening his room door, peeking in and speaking to her. She folded her arms around her chest and nodded, immediately following him out onto the balcony.

Honestly she had been surprised when she had seen his apartment. It was totally glamorous and explained a lot. He was rich. That was why he had paid so much money to have her with him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she walked out onto the balcony, the sight of the metropolis rushing through her senses and making her dizzy.

"Wow…" she simply said, as she gripped the railing for dear life. Her heart pounded in fear. Was she afraid of heights? Probably…she had never been this high up in her life! Her world was spinning, but she couldn't help the goofy smile that popped up on her face.

Kain noticed how tightly she gripped the railing and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and chest, keeping her grounded.

"It's ok…you can let go. I don't plan on letting you go yet," he said, moving his hands so that he could put them around her stomach and so that his lips could finally gain access to her soft and feminine skin.

Kyoko couldn't help but let out a sigh of approval as he kissed her softly around her neck, his arms firmly around her waist. The world to her was still spinning, but it was not an unpleasant feeling. Neither was Kain's body against her back, so reassuring and firm. She loosened her hold on the railing as a strong wind blew her long hair backward into Kain's face. But he didn't seem to notice as he kept littering kisses all along her neck, jaw line and cheek. She gasped when he placed one on her upper back, pulling her closer to him at the same time.

"Um…ah…Kain…I'm really dizzy," she said, feeling high from his well placed kisses.

"Then I think lying down will definitely make you feel better," he answered huskily as he turned her to face him, his body trapping hers to the railing. She was breathing heavily against him, her bosom heaving against his as he took her lips with his, tugging it gently before kissing her, his tongue nimble and skilled as he indulged in her.

**Well…was it bad, good? A waste of your time? A waste of my time? Any advice to give to me with regards to this fic? I know it's choppy so…any suggestions for a possible rewrite? And I'll try to get the next chappie out sooner than 2 months this time around. ^_^**

**Thanks to creamy creations, Anameniac, Kim, chaseafteryourdreams and tlaw. Not so many for the last chapter…oh boy, where is this fic going?**


	5. Chapter 4

**Wow! What a review response for the last chapter! I must therefore once again apologize for taking so long to update! *Bows in apology* I'm hoping this chapter will be as enjoyable as the last one! Here I go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat, but I do own 52 reviews! Muahahahahahaaaa! **

_Chapter 4_

It was an extremely busy night, busier than usual for the seductresses. Money was flowing, liquor was in excess and the flirty screams and giggles of the girls were buzzing in Kanae's ear. She was irritated, downright irritated. It was the ridiculousness of her life. Oh how she hated it, so shallow, conforming to the needs of whosoever walked through the door. Yet…it was her life, it was the path she had chosen, it was her own hell and she had placed herself in it.

"Kanae, we've got another one, rather strange looking," Mimiko said, stopping in her rush to get to the bar to inform Kanae of her next customer. Kanae scowled slightly then answered Mimiko in a low grumble.

"Bring him here, I'm used to the weird ones," she said, ducking back into her stall without any response from the bartender.

Kanae sat on her many pillows, grabbing her brush and quickly brushing out her long raven hair before her curtain could part and her customer could walk in.

"Um…is…is this where I'm supposed to g…go?" She heard someone stammer outside of her stall. She saw the shadow outlined as a seductress answered him softly. Kanae rolled her eyes. He was definitely a nerd, he wouldn't be much to take care of. Her curtain was flipped to the side cautiously and she slipped her robe off her shoulders, giving the customer a playful peek at her chest. He'd probably faint away as soon as he saw it.

A tall, slender man stumbled in her stall, the curtain falling behind him and blocking off the outside world. He had his head down and Kanae could not see his face, not that she needed to anyway.

"Welcome customer, how may I be of assistance tonight?" She asked, her voice low and inviting.

"Um…yeah…um…huh?" He muttered, backing against the wall. Kanae felt like dropping her head into the palm of her hand. What a silly man she had received!

"Is there any way I can make you more comfortable," she asked, standing up to light the lamp in the low ceiling and to face him.

"Hi, um…I dunno actually…" he said, smiling warmly. Kanae felt as if her heart had stopped. This man…this man was the most handsome man she had ever seen step into their shop! And not only that, but he was dressed in a most expensive looking suit. She couldn't help feeling a little odd, she hadn't seen many good looking men in her years, but here was one sitting right in front of her.

"Then…then you've come to the right place," she said, stumbling over her first word then shaking off the surprise.

"Well…um…heheh, I don't know what I'm doing here, it's just that work's got me stressed out and I didn't bring my gloves and now I can't call him and he's always busy and he's probably wondering if I stood him up and…" The sound of skin hitting skin resounded around the stall and the customer's mouth fell open as he placed a hand next to his stinging cheek.

"Shut up," Kanae growled, her eyes fierce.

"But you just..you just," he began.

"What the hell did I just say?" Kanae whispered dangerously as she walked over to him. He tried to back away from her, his back hitting resistance that was the wall. He felt something soft being gently pressed into his chest. He blushed, knowing immediately what it was.

"I'm a little uncomfortable," he admitted, hoping that she would step back a few feet. He saw her smirk.

"Shh…you talk too much," she whispered to him. It was his time for his eyes to widen to surprise. He had not expected that at all! He felt her hand on one of his shoulders. It slowly fell down his arm, her finger tips brushing against his knuckles. He stiffened. The mood had changed drastically twice since he had entered the room. What was her angle?

Kanae tried not to think of him any differently, she wanted no mental blocks stopping her from doing what she was being paid to do. It was definitely the first time that a gay guy had come into their shop, seeking comfort from a girl but…a job was a job.

"I…talk…too much?" He asked, as he stared at her wondering if it would be safe to call her crazy. It was as he stared that he realized that he wasn't looking at her, he was seeing her. His eyebrows furrowed as his body relaxed. With his head titled to the side just a bit, bits and pieces of a thought he could not grasp fluttered around his mind. Kanae's fierce expression fell as he gazed at her as if he was puzzled. Suddenly, she felt a sharp yet dull annoying thought poking at her mind, yet, she could not discern what it was. She pursed her lips, looking away from him, wondering why the connection of their bodies and their eyes had brought about this comfortable confusion.

He had been too concerned with his charge when he had stumbled into the stall to notice her alluring aura at first. He hadn't even been sure why he had entered the questionable establishment…he was just in the area. But now, now he could clearly feel something, he did not know what he was feeling, as he and the mysterious seductress stood chest to chest and face to face in a barely private stall.

"You're beautiful," he said. It was noticeably the first time he had not stuttered since they had met. She lifted her eyes to his and the annoying pain grew more noticeable.

"Thank you," she answered in a small voice, very uncharacteristic of her in normal circumstances. And no more words were explained as he lowered his lips and delivered a chaste kiss that make Kanae's toes tingle with joy.

XXX XXX

"Kotonami-sensei…what is this for?" A tiny voice floated to Kanae's ear. Kanae opened an eye grudgingly, leaving her dream behind, a tiny frown on her face. Sitting beside her futon was one of the new girls, holding something exquisitely crafted, black and lacy.

"Beat it kid!" Kanae shouted as she sat up immediately, grabbing the lingerie from the girl. The teen girl fell backwards with a little scream, scrabbled to her feet and ran out of the room, tripping over the floorboards several times. With a grumble, Kanae a.k.a. Kotonami-sensei a.k.a. Kotonami-senpai a.k.a. Moko-san, rose to her feet, ignoring the pain that ran along the length of her back.

'Damn futon,' she cursed in her head, driving her fist into it a few times. She got to her feet, looked at the other seductresses still asleep in the room and sighed. Her anger melted away and guilt settled in. As she stuffed the lacy garment into her bra she couldn't help thinking about how harsh she had shouted at the young seductress. She was new after all…she didn't know Kotonami like the others did. She once again looked at her fellow sisters and a small smile of motherly adoration graced her beautiful face. She had trained many of them over the years, she had trained them well. They were used to her usual shouting…no wonder none of them had stirred when she had yelled at the kid. Her smile faded as troubling thoughts settled in her mind. She criss-crossed through the pack of sleeping girls, opening the door to step out with her bare feet onto the dimly lit corridor.

"Good morning, morning," she greeted the fresh air as she slipped through a door, emerging at the back of the building. Her feet touched the cold, chipped concrete as she walked out to sit on the low wall. This was her favourite spot. The other seductresses didn't have time to exit the shop. They worked all night and slept all day. It was a surprisingly grueling life of non-stop work, but Kanae always found time every morning to sit on that little wall that seemed to cut her off from the real world. Not that she cared…she was glad to be in the protective bubble that Erika had provided for them. Being in the real world was too troublesome. She smiled as she thought of how humans could change in a fraction of a second. A year ago she had been willing to leave Erika and the other girls. She had thought she had found love. He had been a beautiful man, intelligent yet was a big goof underneath his façade. His glasses only added to who he was, his curse of destroying technology with just a touch of his uncovered skin, hilarious beyond belief. She had been in love, and she had thought he was too. Until one day he simply never came back.

Kanae raised a hand to her cheek to find a stray tear lingering there. How long had she cried for him? How many nights had her mind been fixed on him? How many customers had she thought would magically turn out to be him? When had her heart stopped hurting? When had it healed itself? She couldn't answer these questions. Sometimes she would imagine him walking in, coming back to her, crying and saying how sorry he was to leave her all alone…what would she do then? Would she jump into his arms, forget her hurt and run away with him? Or would she get upset with him, punch him a few times and then dismiss him from her presence? Or maybe she would just stare at him…unable to react. She didn't know. She really didn't know. She wiped another tear from her eye, wishing that Kyoko was there with her, helping her through it one more time.

XXX XXX

"What do you mean you're going out?" Moko-san asked Kyoko in a hushed voice as the smaller girl changed into clothes she had never thought she'd need before.

"I got bought for the whole day Moko-san," Kyoko whispered back, shocking the older girl. Moko propped herself up with the help of the wall.

"Are you freakin' serious?" She almost yelled, having problems controlling her voice. Kyoko nodded, a little unsure, as she sat on the floor.

"Kain…is bringing me home…" she said.

"Bringing you…is that the same guy who you were talking about a few days ago?" Kanae asked, this time her voice simply could not remain silent.

"The same guy is doing what?" Mimori pushed her head into the room.

"Oh…this should be good!" Ruriko said, shoving Mimori into the room so that she could now stand at the doorway. And just like that, the seductresses came rushing into the room, all somehow hearing what Kanae had yelled and wanting to know all the details. Kyoko blushed as she looked at her friends. They weren't as close to her as Moko-san was, but they all shared the same punishment and the same fate…that was enough for her to trust them.

"I'm being…brought home by a customer," Kyoko said, her voice almost a whisper. Everyone except Ruriko gasped. She scoffed. She scoffed and folded her arms, giving them all a smirk.

"Ruri…" Mimori started to scold the girl.

"Oh shut it, Pochi…I don't believe Kyoko. Why would any of the customers want to take you home? You're so…plain," Ruriko said. Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed.

"You are such a bitch Ruri," Kanae spat her words at the girl before Kyoko could respond, "I think you're just jealous since you lack all the skill Kyoko has of controlling her customers. Need I remind you what happened last week and why you're on probation with Erika-sama," Kanae concluded, giving Ruriko a pointed look. All knowing eyes turned on Ruriko, burning into her as she cast her eyes to the floor.

"Continue, Kyoko," Itsumi said, turning her eyes back to Kyoko. Kyoko sent a quick 'thank you' glance to Moko-san who shrugged it off before continuing her story.

"Well…he's willing to pay for me for the whole day…for 24 hours…to bring me to his home…" she trailed off.

"This is like a fairy tale!" Miya quipped, her eyes glistening.

"No, it's nothing like a fairy tale," Kyoko said, her voice stronger as she stood up in front of her friends, "he's just trying to satisfy himself and his ego, thinking that bringing me home is going to make me willingly lie down on his bed and let him have his way with me."

"But didn't you say that he never wanted to touch you?" Kanae asked. The mention of fairy tales had angered her best friend.

"Yeah, but…but…why else would he want to take me home?" Kyoko demanded, her anger quickly replaced by exasperation. The room fell silent as everyone searched their brains, trying to figure out why the handsome customer had chosen Kyoko to bring home.

"Stop this nauseating gossiping with your subordinates, Kyoko. If you need me to remind you of your duties then you are more dim-witted than I thought," Erika said, appearing at the doorway. The seductresses all scrambled to their feet, dispersing all over the one bedroom trying to seem busy. Erika-sama did not like idle hands.

"Yes, Erika-sama," Kyoko said, nodding politely at the owner of the shop. She stood up and. Erika did not linger in their presence; she closed the door behind her as she followed behind Kyoko. Moko-san's eyes hardened and her eyebrows furrowed. Why was Erika allowing Kyoko to go with this Kain person? Did she not care about the girl's safety?

"I hope he cuts you into a million pieces," Ruri grumbled under her breath, stabbing random piece of paper with a half eaten pencil. She gritted her teeth in anger, stabbing the paper several times before crushing it into her fist and tossing it to a side of the room. She hated Kyoko and she had made no attempt to hide it ever since the girl had walked into their business.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the seductresses gather together again, excitedly discussing this strange character that was taking Kyoko home. Her hand tightened around the pencil. It snapped, but she didn't realize. Her mind was clouded by anger…and jealousy. Kyoko had had everything easy from the first day. Erika-sama had taken pity on the girl, allowing her food, shelter, rest and clothing. But, not only did Erika-sama easily accept Kyoko, but all the other seductresses did too…Kyoko became the centre of attraction with ease. The big upset came with the realization of Kyoko's skills when it came to being a seductress. She simply slid into the role. Everything was just too easy for her, and that made Ruri crazy with anger.

She stormed out of the room, but no one noticed, they were all too busy whispering about the new development in their lives as seductresses. She cursed them under her breath. She hated them all for liking that bitch, Kyoko! That whore who was sure to have sex with her customer and go against the one rule that really mattered to them. And when she did have sex with him, he was sure to rip her apart, teach her that horrible things came wrapped up real pretty. She knew that, she wished she hadn't, but she knew it all too well.

She walked over to the bar, flicking on the radio as she settled on a seat.

"I'm prisoner in paradise. It's a thorn you'll never pull out! I'm imprisoned by a love that's cruelly beautiful," floated out of the radio instantly and Ruri half swooned, immediately forgetting how upset she was. Fuwa Sho did that to her…he did that to all girls. She smiled and allowed his voice to carry her away.

**Sorry about all the flashbacks and switching of scenes! I'll try not to do that unless necessary in the future. I hope this chapter was not an epic fail! I promise to really start the story in the next chapter! And I know that I promised not to take so long with this one, but I got hit with exams! I'll make it up to you, I PROMISE!**


	6. Chapter 5

***Sigh* The last chapter wasn't so popular, but this one should be more interesting to you all ^_^ . Thanks to my amazing beta Mystic Rains! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat, if I did, such a fandom would not exist.**

_Chapter 5_

Kyoko fell on the bed in a state of blissful, otherworldly joy. She was wondering if time had slowed down purposely for her as Kain slowly discarded his shirt, bringing an instant blush to her face. How fine and chiseled he was, rather perfect physically…but she had made this decision before. She would only enjoy him physically. There would be no emotional attachment to him, none whatsoever. She would use him for her own physical desires.

She smiled to herself as he lowered himself onto her, showering kisses delicately over her neck. It was as gentle as the early morning drizzle. For the first time, she could understand why the other seductresses had violated the main rule at least once. It was for this amazing feeling, this flame that seemed to be growing bigger and scorching her slowly from the inside out, this breathlessness of being flung against a strong wall of resistance…it was all worth it to break that one rule. She let her head dangle as Kain continued to leave marks of his strawberry kisses all over her neck.

She heard him sigh softly against her ear and he let out a "mmmh" before he pulled away from her, looking down at how prettily her hair was splayed over his pillows and how her robe was parted teasingly. Just a slight brush of his hand would expose her to him. His eyes rose to her face and the look on her face froze him. There was no hiding it…she was afraid of what he could do. He let his fingers brush against her cheek and immediately fire began burning in her eyes.

"I won't back down as long as you don't," she said, placing her hand on his hand that was gently touching her face.

"You're forgetting one thing," he said as she held his eyes with hers while she tried to guide his hand to her almost opened robe.

"What's that Kain-kun?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she barely licked her bottom lip. This made Kain's heart jump; how easily she could get him in the mood.

"I still think you're a child," he said and pulled back his hand from hers. Her eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as Kain removed himself from her.

"I don't…I don't understand," she said, sitting up and glaring at him. What was he thinking? His way of reasoning didn't make sense to her at that moment. Her skin was still afire and her body was calling for something she knew she alone could not acquire.

"This isn't what I want from you Kyoko, at least this isn't all I want from you," he said, putting his hands in his pocket and looking her straight in the face. Kyoko's fire was immediately smothered as she saw the seriousness in his eyes. Damn him! Damn him for confusing her!

"Seems that the question of the day, customer Kain. What do you want with me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes, also serious.

"I want to know…about you," he answered. Kyoko's eyes narrowed even more.

"What about me?" She asked cautiously. What was he getting at exactly?

"Everything," he answered.

"No." Her answer was immediate and sharp and followed by her flinging her legs off the bed in an attempt to escape from his presence. He grasped her by the shoulders before she could pass by him. She tried to pull herself from his grasp, but his hold was too tight. Worries entered her mind. What would he attempt if she refused to answer his questions?

"When you let go of this, and of this guy, then I can assure you, you won't be this miserable," he whispered to her. Her anger boiled and she tried to pull herself from his grasp once again. She succeeded. With eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched, she spoke to him softly.

"Don't tell me to do impossible tasks," she said to him before storming off in rage. Kain looked over his shoulder and watched her leave, slamming the door behind her. She wouldn't go any further than the living room, he had locked the front door, just in case.

Kyoko stormed toward the front door. Yes, she was only in a robe and yes, she could barely remember which way to take to go home, but she refused to stay any longer with someone who thought of her as so much of a child that he was even telling her what to do. To make it worse, he was telling her to do something that could never be done! To forget about Sho and all the pain he had caused her would be like erasing her whole past and replacing it with beautiful images of life. She grasped the knob for the door, turned it and tried to pull it open. It wouldn't budge. She gritted her teeth together and pulled even harder, irritation building up further. To forget about Sho meant to never have any memories of working as a seductresses, it meant having tons of friends who adored her instead of hating her for being the closest one to Sho, to forget Sho meant…it meant…it meant her life. Sho had been her life…she couldn't so easily forget what he had done to her.

She pulled at the knob so hard that it came off. Kyoko stumbled backward, knob in hand. She ran at the door, pounding on it, wanting it to open, wanting to escape, but it still would not budge. Her eyes burned with tears as she remembered Sho and everything about him. Oh how she hated him! She hated him! She hated him! She crumpled against the door, sliding down to sit on the floor. A single tear ran down her cheek and she dropped her head onto her hands that were resting on her knee. As long as she lived, she would never forget, she would never forget the pain. A sharp pain started up with every beat of her heart. Impossible…

She felt arms around her, and then she felt these arms lifting her up to envelope her in a big hug. There was comfort in his arms, comfort in Kain's arms…but yet she did not cry.

Kain had seen her break down as she tried to get the door open. His heart ached for her. What pain was she feeling that she wouldn't allow him to know about? Would he even be able to help her if he knew what was eating away at her? He didn't know, but he had to try.

"Shh… Hush, Kyoko, hush," he comforted her with gentle words as she held her close, hoping that his presence would calm her if even a little.

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me now, I'll be around long enough to figure this out," he said, petting her hair.

"I don't want you anywhere close to me," she said, her voice coming out as a mumble as she was pressed against his chest. Kain smiled slightly at this. Who was she trying to fool? He pulled her away from him to look at her face. To his surprise, there were no tears, her eyes were not red, she had not been crying like he had thought. That was a surprise. Despite there being no tears, he bent his neck to kiss her cheeks, a symbol of him kissing away her tears. She was shocked, but she did not turn away from him. She accepted his kisses, her eyes focused elsewhere in the room.

"Just remember what I told you, forget it all and my dear Kyoko, you'll finally be happy," he said. She didn't get angry at this, it was obvious that she was distracted, probably trying to deal with the guy who had undoubtedly broken her heart. Kain felt his anger rise. Not only had this unknown fellow hurt Kyoko, but he had also poisoned her thoughts, making her think mostly of him. What a twisted person he must be. Those kind of men were the type that Kain hated the most. He got upset at many things, but a man who had the balls to hurt a woman was in a lot of danger in Kain's presence.

She was silent and Kain didn't let her out of his grip. He knew how it felt to have someone hug you in troubling times. It had always made him feel better and less alone, but the moment their arms disappeared was the moment all his negative feelings came rushing back. By thinking that, he brought her to him again, this time not for her sake, but for his. He had remembered something from his childhood, something very, very unpleasant.

"Kyoko," he called her name.

"Yes," she answered simply.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Yes," came her answer.

XXX XXX

It was amazing how the smoke alarm hadn't gone off yet. Kain, with an apron tied around his waist, spatula in hand, a mixture of unknown origin splattered all over his face and with his shirt rolled up glared at the flame that was threatening to burn the apartment down. He frowned greatly and grabbed the extinguisher, putting out the second fire of the night. He sighed and glanced around the kitchen. It was hopeless, he was hopeless! Acting he could do, but cooking…he was an utter failure at that one.

"I smell something…OH MY GOODNESS…KAIN! Wha…what happened?" Kyoko asked as she stopped at the kitchen door.

"It would turn out that I'm not very good at cooking," he answered with a faint smile. Kyoko crossed the battlefield and took the spatula from him.

"Why are you using a spatula to mix soup?" She asked, glaring at the mixture of unknown origin that was both in a pot on the stove and splashed onto Kain's face.

"Um…isn't that what you use?" He asked. She shook her head in disapproval.

"Seems my assistance is needed…I'll call you when I'm finished in here," she said, pulling him up and toward the door. He said nothing as she pushed him out and made a quick glance around the kitchen, taking in the job she had to do. He continued to watch her as she bustled around with an unmatched speed, cleaning and managing to cook at the same time. He raised a hand to touch the substance on his cheek…it was starting to burn. He whisked himself off to the bathroom to wash it off his face while Kyoko labored in the kitchen.

All thoughts of Sho vanished as she worked hard bringing the kitchen back to a respectable state and also cooking up a delicious meal for both her and Kain. She felt like jumping in joy as she spooned out the soup to two separate bowls, putting more into Kain's, as she knew that men loved to eat.

"Mmmmhh, smells wonderful," Kain said, stepping into the kitchen.

"Ah, thank you Kain. Do you really think so?" She asked, turning around to face him. He was shocked at the simple joy in her smile…was this what she was really like? He walked up to her, trapping her between his body and the table that held the two bowls of soup.

"Your smile is absolutely beautiful," he said before planting a chaste kiss on her lips. She coloured pink at his compliment and his kiss.

"Um…thank you," she said, her eyes downcast. This had Kain confused and all the more eager to know her. He wanted to know which personality was really her. Was it the strong character he had been getting used to since they met? Or was it this sweet and gentle persona that blushed at the mere brush of his lips against hers? He was excited to find out. He picked up the bowl with the smaller amount of soup in it and walked out of the kitchen to have his dinner in front of the television. He wasn't hungry, but she had made it afterall.

Kyoko blinked quizzically at the bowl he had taken. Didn't he want more? She didn't dwell on the question as she picked up the remaining bowl and went to have it in on the couch.

With the television tuned on a variety show, the two of them drank the soup, Kain leaving half of it in the bowl while Kyoko had all of hers. She glanced at his bowl then asked a question she had wanted to for a while.

"How much longer before you return me?" She asked, eyes staring at her empty bowl.

"Never," he said, casually. Her head flew up and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Never? What do you mean by 'never'?" She exclaimed.

"Kyoko…I didn't buy you for a day…I bought your life," he answered, yet again in a casual tone. Kyoko's mouth fell open and she fought for an appropriate expression to his answer. Kain put his bowl down on the coffee table before smiling a private smile.

"Now, about that prize I would get for bringing you home…"

XXX XXX

Erika counted the money that the rich, handsome customer had paid her. It was all the money Kyoko would have earned until her contract had been made void plus more. She smirked to herself. She wouldn't yet announce to the other seductresses the purchase of their sister, they would figure it out in time. Not even Kyoko knew of the deal. She had been a little reluctant to sell the girl, but, hey, money talked.

***Rubs hands excitedly* So…how was it? I'm excited about my story finally taking flight. My dear, beloved readers, this is where things take off!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter : dOodi, minim0a, ikutojs, OboeChica and Laura-Ella.**

**Thanks also to those who reviewed for the chapter before the last one. ^_^**


	7. Chapter 6

**Heeyyyyy! I'm back! I know, I know, it's been 7 months, but does that matter now since I'm back? I have decided to change 'Kain' to 'Cain', since that is the correct spelling and I wish to not spoilt the greatness that is Skip Beat. **

**Thanks to my beta for this chappie: Sunechirei. My Sune-chan! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat.**

_Chapter 6_

"What?" Kanae almost shouted as she stood in Erika's office trying to contain her freshly erupted anger. It has been 25 and a half hours exactly since Kyoko had been bought by a complete stranger. It was out of worry, concern and a longing to have her best friend back at her side that had caused her to knock gently on Erika's door and to slip inside to ask her briefly about the wellbeing of Kyoko.

Kanae's calmness had been shattered to pieces when Erika had casually declared that Kyoko's life and body had been sold entirely to one, Cain Heel. Upon mention of the name, Kanae had no doubt that the stranger had used a horrible pseudonym and had successfully stolen Kyoko Mogami from the possibility of a bright future.

Erika turned her eyes up, fixing them on Kanae. Her intention; to silence her employee with just one look. (the period and capitalization are for flow, and a bit of grammar that I don't know how to explain, and the semi-colon is a common punctuation mistake) But Erika had underestimated Kanae's fury, for the raven haired seductress only intensified her stare, her defiance completely evident. Erika felt belittled, but brushed it off quickly lest Kanae notice.

"Do you think that glaring at me so angrily will make him bring her back? I sold her, whether it be a mistake or not," the head honcho said with authority, signaling that their little conversation was over.

Kanae did not linger. She twirled around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door effectively behind her. Erika grinned to herself, pleased, unaware that if Kanae had remained for 5 seconds longer, she would have mercilessly strangled her employer.

XXX XXX

Cain's words echoed in Kyoko's mind. He had bought… her life? Her spoon fell into her practically empty bowl, going 'clank' and 'splash' as the stainless steel spoon crashed against crockery and liquid.

Was he serious? He must be joking! Bought her life? Ridiculous!

The buzz of the television became dull in the background as she focused on the man smiling expectantly at her. He stood up and crossed over to her, took her by the arms and pulled her up to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closer and bent his neck so that his lips could gently kiss her collarbone.

"Wh-what?" She demanded sharply, finally understanding but still not believing his words. She pushed against him, fighting to get out of his arms. Confusion spread throughout her mind. It just wasn't possible!

Cain was confused as Kyoko backed away from him. What was she doing? Hadn't she been…

"Didn't Erika tell you?" He asked.

"Tell me?" Kyoko asked, glaring at him, her fists clenched at her side.

"Kyoko… I bought you from her. I bought your life," he repeated calmly, keeping his eyes focused on her face, watching her features meet in anger. He swore mentally. Erika hadn't told Kyoko. This was not what he had expected.

The emotions flitted through Kyoko's brain, each allowing only a fraction of a second for the seductress to recognize and allocate them. Confusion, shock, terror, anger, sadness… Joy.

Cain stood cautiously, aware of how close they were, thinking that any sudden movement on his part would somehow inhibit her acceptance of his revelation. He could clearly see the variety of emotions as they washed over her, wave by drowning wave. Her transition from one extreme to another was a bit puzzling to him. Which emotion would she settle with? What was to be expected next?

Kyoko's smile began on the inside before it touched her lips. What a slimy, dirty way to conduct business; Ericka had sold her for no doubt a hefty price, without even indicating to the seductress of interest that her life was now in the hands of another. A stranger. It was something that Ericka was capable of, but Kyoko had never run this possibility through her mind. The one thing that stabbed her with sorrow was knowing what she had not brought with her.

It wasn't something that could have been easily pushed into her bag and thrown over her shoulder. Friendship was not tangible and a friend like Moko-san was beyond replacement. Guilt seeped into her joy. How could she be happy knowing that while she had escaped the nightly routine of seduction, her best friend who had been by her side since she had started her new life was still bound to that place by her contract, a contract that had been drawn up to accommodate Kyoko. It was to be the two of them till the end, always side by side. Kyoko swallowed, painfully, for a lump of sorrow had risen to her throat.

Moko-san had been left behind.

Kyoko watched as Cain approached her. She had taken a seat, dizzy from the inundation of emotions. She felt the smile on her face. Her joy swiftly melted into silent and controlled fear as he came closer to her. Was she… was she afraid of him?

He had seen a look similar to that one many years ago in his youth, except, the look on his mother's face then had not had the stubbornness of Kyoko's. His mother's expression had been pure, unadulterated fear. He clenched his jaw as various scenes replayed in his head. Oh how he wished he could forget them.

"There is no need to be afraid," he said in as calm a voice as possible. He could not find her ludicrous for fearing him and expecting the worse despite him being clearly aware that she had no idea who he was. Another thought hit him. He was Ren Tsuruga, disguised as Cain Heel, how long would it take for her to see through his disguise?

"Why did you buy me?" She questioned firmly, her tone demanding. How easily she had forgotten that she did not know this man or the things he was capable of. How could she had seen him, albeit momentarily, as her saviour? What sort of morbid and dark fantasies played in his head? She could not help her slight paranoia.

"Because, you interest me," he replied, taking a step back. Maybe a little distance between them would relax her stiffened features.

"I don't believe you," she spat, giving him the most threatening glare she could conjure.

"Whether you want it or not, I'm in charge of you now– "

"You don't own me," she interrupted him.

"I never said that I owned you."

And with those words, she understood what he meant. He was in charge of her. He would take care of her.

Though a feeling of dismay passed over her, she felt like laughing at the situation. Would she never be free? She felt tears spring to her eyes and she began trembling as the thought that history was bound to repeat itself came to her mind. Just as she had been imprisoned by Sho, so would she be imprisoned by Cain. He would grow tired with her soon, after her mystery and intrigue died away.

She would be discarded, she would once again be nothing.

"Did Ericka give you my purse?" She asked.

"No, she didn't." The tears stung her, no, they stabbed at her, but she refused to let him see them. She could not help but feel betrayed. All that money she had saved, for her time of freedom…Ericka had consumed it. She had nothing, she truly had nothing. She would be back to square one within no time at all. In that moment, all her suffering gathered at the forefront of her mind. The bullying she had been forced to accept by her mother, her classmates, her Shotaro, her employer… it dangled in front of her. She could feel the despair, the rejection of her former years as if they had only happened yesterday. She had not expected the world to be so cruel, yet, so it had turned out.

As she looked up at Cain, she figured that he too would bully her, and eventually reject her. Then he would discard her and she would be nobody, a title she was used to, maybe a title that she deserved.

Why were things so hard for her?

Why was she being punished?

She had done no wrong.

Her head fell forward, her chin resting on her chest, as she fought the tears and tried to reinforce her resolve. She imagined that it was made of steel and that it would take a lot more than what she had experienced to break it. She fought back her emotions, trying to tie them down, telling herself that more now than ever, she was not to allow herself to feel even an inkling of desire toward this man. He would crush her soon enough.

Long fingers held her chin, then lifted her face upward. She could not help but notice the softness with which Cain looked at her. Something fluttered in her stomach. She wanted to vomit. It was a disgusting fluttering that she could not put a reason to.

"I'll take care of you," he said softly. His fingers moved from her chin to hold her hand. He pulled her to her feet with one hand and hugged her. She squeezed her eyes shut against his broad chest. If she hadn't just built another wall around her emotions, his hug would have been comforting. He pushed her long hair out of her face and behind her ears. She cast her eyes away from him. She could not block out the sight of his face that was close to her. Her lips twisted into a scowl, but he did not let that stop him. He took her lips in his, manipulating it out of its ugly twist.

She fought the urge to enjoy his kiss. It was hard. His lips were so sweet and soft, almost virgin, but skillful as if he had set out in life to perfect the art. The nauseous fluttering happened again and she pulled away from him. She had only one explanation to the fluttering, but no explanation to the disgust that accompanied it. She had experienced it once before, many years before, when she still believed in fairies and happily ever after.

It had been the prelude to love and had destroyed her.

She would never go back there.

"I promise you, I will take care of you, I won't hurt you," he whispered in her ear before gently nibbling at her neck. A great pleasure unlike any she had experienced before spread throughout her like a glass of overturned water.

She moaned softly and clutched his shirt. She had a swift, sudden, strong urge to tear his shirt away from his body and to indulge guiltily in him. It went as quickly as it had come. It was not the determination of Kyoko to never get hurt, it was, instead, an angry shout from the front door.

Hearing the alien sound, they pulled apart, still clutching each other like long lost lovers who had just found each other. At the door stood a man in glasses. He wore gloves and an expression of outraged disbelief.

"Ren! What…what are you doing!" He shouted. Kyoko's eyebrows went up. He had not called him Cain, he had called him Ren. She had caught that.

"Yukihito," Cain greeted him, seemingly without the intention of explaining the situation. Kyoko scrutinized the newcomer upon hearing the name that sent bells ringing in her head. His name was familiar. His face was familiar. His gloved hands were familiar.

Her mouth fell open in shock as she realized that she had come upon Moko-san's former lover. She could not help her exclamation.

"Yashiro?"

**Forgive me for the OOC-ness of it all, I haven't read a Skip Beat manga in a few months. Heh heh heh, sowrie. I hope it didn't suck completely, and once again, I am VERY, VERY sorry for making you all wait so long! Please, spare me the beatings, I shall punish myself.**

**Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter. :) Sorry for not listing out your names.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Ohhkayy then… *dodges projectiles* Gomen! Gomen! I know I deserve to be harmed, but…please spare my life! After about 6 months, I have FINALLY uploaded. I'm super sorry, but I couldn't help it. A lotta stuff is just messing up my writing mode, plus school…ugh, university. I hope this chappie doesn't suck, since it didn't get beta-d. Forgive all stupid mistakes please.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat, can't tell when last I read a chapter either… :( **

_Chapter 7_

Kyoko wasn't sure what to do. She had immediately recognized him. But what were the odds of meeting him here? She blinked once in confusion, looked at Cain, then looked at Yashiro. She became all too aware of Cain's hands lingering around her waist. The temperature escalated, and she realized just how close they were. A chill ran down her spine. Fear again, filled her like an ocean. Yet, at the bottom of that ocean was relief. Relief because Yashiro's appearance had cleared her mind and had reminded her of heartbreak. She had seen it…and so had Moko-san. She slowly pulled away from Cain. Her fear prevented her from speaking. She saw the utter confusion in Cain's eyes. She sought out her wall. It was as firm as ever. No one would be allowed to get past it. She could sense Yashiro's surprise and personal fear.

She felt that she needed to attack the new comer. Strangle him. Stab him. Hurt him somehow. Hurt him more than how he had hurt Moko-san. She still remembered. And she still hurt for her friend. Yet, her own memories prevented her. And she felt hatred for her own self.

How was she not prepared to fight in the stead of her best friend? Why was she not bombarding him with accusations? Why was she such a coward when it mattered the most? She felt tears behind her eyes. She had never thought about confronting Sho about what he had done, she had spent her time trying to rid him from her memory, trying to move on. But what if she was forced to confront him one day? Would she freeze up like this? What would she tell him? She sure as hell couldn't tell him how unable she had been to recover from his treachery and abandonment. She sure couldn't tell him about what she had ended up doing. He would laugh at her. Neither had she reduced the importance of him in her life. What a monster he was, to still remain in her thoughts, despite being out of her sight. What an idiot she was for remembering him and the evils he had dumped on her at a time like this, at a time when she didn't even matter. Just how much control did he have over her?

Did this silence represent the fear she truly had about facing Sho?

"Kyoko," Yashiro countered. Ah, so he remembered her.

"You two know each other?" Cain asked. Kyoko's eyes were on the floor. She couldn't see Cain's face, but she did not miss his tone. It scared her. He was not pleased.

"Yes," Kyoko answered softly. She lifted her eyes to look at Yashiro. Her arms started trembling. She bit her bottom lip. She had to face him, for the sake of Moko-san.

She saw him swallow with difficulty. He must be shocked, she thought, to see her of all people in Cain's apartment. Of course, if by some matter of chance Cain had been led to Moko-san instead of her on that night, well…well…without a doubt, Moko-san would have dealt with the situation, unlike her, Kyoko, who was trembling with fear just by focusing her eyes on the beast of a man who had hurt the person closest to her.

The tension in the air was extremely thick. How much longer could she hold up against simply staring at Yashiro?

"Yashiro, is it ok if I take a rain check on this meeting? As you can see, right now, I'm a bit busy," Cain said. Kyoko glanced quickly up at Cain and was shocked to see a brilliant smile on his face. She felt goosebumps rise on her hands and she looked away quickly. That smile was very deceptive. She could feel the danger that lay beyond it and it scared her. It wasn't helping the situation at all. What would happen now?

"Ren…I need to talk to you," Yashiro spoke up, his eyes moving from Kyoko's to take on Cain's.

"I'm sure it can wait until I'm done here."

"But, Ren…"

"It can wait Yukihito. I'll call you when I'm not so busy." Cain's words were obviously final. Yashiro said nothing. Instead, he looked at Kyoko again and made his exit, the door closing as softly as it had opened a few minutes before. And just like that, he was gone. It was Kyoko and Ren again, and it was as if Yashiro had not been there, except of course, he had. The change in the atmosphere was what remained of his presence. Discomfort lingered in the room.

Silence took over. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cain sit down. Despite Yashiro's exit, her arms still trembled and she was still utterly afraid. Cain was still here, he was the one she was afraid of.

"Tell me something, Kyoko," Cain spoke up, breaking the silence. She didn't look at him, she was afraid of the expression he would have on his face.

"No…you tell me something," she responded. She felt a sudden surge of courage.

"Hmmm?" He asked wordlessly.

"Why did he call you Ren?" Her voice rose as she spun around to look at him. She blinked once, then twice in confusion. His face…the expression on it was not what she had expected. He had a calm, cool face in place, as if the current awkward situation was not happening.

He signed and leaned back in his seat, his eyes not leaving hers.

"That's because my real name is Ren," he answered simply. His admission of it came so easily.

"So…you lied." A rhetorical statement. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Was she cursed? Would she be faced with men who were out to hurt her for the rest of her life? Oh how cruel fate was.

"Men are all the same. They take advantage of those around them. They crush anyone who they think is weaker than them. I hate your kind. How could anyone have thought of a guy as Prince Charming?" She spat at him. She turned to walk away, not sure of what she would do next. A hand grabbed hers, preventing her from walking off.

"You didn't give me a chance to talk," he said, coolly.

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," she said and tried to pull her hand from his. It didn't work however, his grip was too tight.

"Let me go, you liar! Let me go!" Kyoko at once screamed, beating his hand with her free hand as she tried to tug her hand from his.

"Is he the one who hurt you?" Cain asked. Kyoko stopped. His voice was firm. He expected an answer. He, of all people wanted an answer from her. She was confused, so confused. And she was hurting, she was in so much pain. Why did things always go wrong when it came to her? Why? Why was this happening?

"Not directly," she answered. Her voice came out softly, calmly. His grip on her hand softened a little bit. There was obviously relief in his facial expression.

"How do you two know each other?" He continued. Realizing that he barely held onto her hand anymore, she tugged it once again, this time successfully getting her hand back.

"I really don't think you're in a position to demand information from me." She rubbed her wrist that Cain…or was it Ren, had held on to. He had been holding it too tightly and she could feel the lingering pressure of his fingers on her wrist. She tore her eyes off him and walked off, slowly. He didn't follow her and she ended up in his room, alone.

She closed the door behind her and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The gravity of the entire situation came crashing down on her and she walked shakily to the bed, dropping unceremoniously on it.

Where had she found so much courage to stand her ground while she was breaking apart on the inside? Her eyes burned with potential tears. No. She wouldn't cry. She was too strong for that. She dropped her head into her palms, cursing herself, wishing that her anger would take the form of utter rage and not sadness. How pathetic she was, she hadn't been able to let go of Sho over all the years she had been parted from him. She still remembered him and what he had done to her as clearly as she saw her own reflection in the mirror, and it hurt her. Not being able to move on from it…that was what was killing her. And now, here she was, in a mysterious man's apartment, a man she had felt stirrings for, someway, somehow… She didn't want to think about why it was possible, she just wanted to lock herself in her own space and raise the walls she had built around her. If only Moko-san was here. But she wasn't. Another thing for her to accept.

The one solidifying force in her life had been taken away from her.

Someone must be thinking how fun it was to mess with Kyoko. Without lifting her head from her hands, she fell back onto the bed and curled into a ball, her face moving from her palms to be hidden between her thighs. And in that position, with her head nestled between her thighs and her hands tightly hugging her legs to her chest, she tried to ease her pain.

She was awakened by someone touching her on her cheek. She stirred, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. It was someone kissing her. How had Cain ended up in the room? His kisses seemed strange somehow, but still enjoyable. His lips drifted slowly down to her neck and then to her chest. She gasped as his lips covered parts of her body she had never allowed another man to touch. Was he really doing this tonight? She writhed on the bed. Maybe she should stop him. His lips covered hers and her mind went blank.

"I've been dreaming about this ever since you grew into such a beautiful young woman," a voice whispered in her ear. Her eyes which were closed in ecstasy before flew open. She knew this voice. This wasn't Cain. She pushed the person away and into the solitary moonbeam that had found itself into the room. A scream rose from her lungs, but died on her tongue. It was Sho. And he was looking down at her lustfully. With a smirk, he ripped her robe open and the scream that had died on her tongue was resurrected. Her screaming echoed throughout the room.

Kyoko woke up screaming. She realized in a few seconds that she had been dreaming. She sat up in the bed, her eyes drifting to the room door. She had screamed pretty loudly. Cain would probably want to know what had caused it. She couldn't help the same hope, or the immense disappointment that kept her staring at the door for longer than she should have been staring, expecting Cain to make an entrance. She sighed and hung her head limply, trying to gather her thoughts. Now she was afraid to go to sleep. She had seen his face. That was enough to turn her off from sleeping again. She felt dirty as she thought about what her mind had conjured up. What part of her would hold images of Sho in that light? What was her deal? What was wrong with her?

She stood up and walked to the door that led to the balcony. She opened it and stepped into the cool night. She sat on the ground, letting her legs dangle through the railings as she let her head rest against them. She wrapped her robe around herself. She desperately wanted a hug. She wished Cain was there. He would wrap his big arms around her…but that was something she wouldn't allow herself to have. She let out a small amused "hmph" before resting her head on the railings again. They were cold, but would they help her with her issues? She tugged her robe around her yet again. She would force herself to get comfort from it. She didn't need arms. She didn't need men. She only needed herself. She glanced back at the room. She had no intention of sleeping anymore. She didn't want to be scared out of her wits.

And so, as she sat there, she couldn't avoid the thoughts that surfaced. Thoughts about Sho of course. Thoughts about how miserable she had been for the past few years. Thoughts of her life – where she had been, where she was and where she would be in the future. She didn't know anything about her future. She was just hoping she would be alive…or, maybe not, maybe she wanted to die. That was the one way she could get release from the eternal torture he had put her in. If only she could take revenge on Sho, punish him for what he had done and show him (even though it may not be true) just how wonderful she was getting along without him. Maybe it was time to move on by making him suffer, by stop thinking about revenge and by acting on it. Yes, death could wait. Death was inevitable after all, but Sho getting a taste of his own medicine was not.

She couldn't help the smile that was conjured up by her lips. She had never been this serious about it before, something about that night had affected her. She wasn't going to sit in the shadows anymore, hating him and thinking up ways to destroy him. No, she was going to put her thoughts into action. She was going to take revenge.

**Thanks to all my reviewers: shironeko 17, pwenie, heartless16, Zerimar, MinawaAsuka, chezscka, Skilvh and Shilvh, monkey kix ass, llalinall, silver-zenko-kitsune, TMNinjaGinga, 21han, maplett, edt, WitchMagicCat, zeichnerinaga, Onion 345, Laura-Ella, toughestcookie, Princess Ren, CuddleMeBear, Rose, ikutoJS and Sunechirei. Whoa…that was a lot. Thanks soooo much you guys!**

**ありがとうございます！！←――― ****ARIGATOUGOZAIMASU!**

**Wish I could tag you like I do on Facebook ^_^ Review, lemme know if it's ok when compared to the previous chapters. Constructive criticism and flames accepted. I'll try to get chapter 8 out soon. I already have like 2 pages, so, sooner than 6 months maybe. Cross your fingers! Also, sorry for the really bad sentence construction, but like I said, no beta :( .**


	9. Chapter 8

**Heh heh heh, bet you guys didn't see a chapter coming so quickly. :D Seeeee, not another 6 months! Whoo hoo! I hope you guys enjoy and I hope that this chapter makes you feel as if this fic is actually going somewhere.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat…I could barely read the katakana for it first time I saw it. I'm such a bad Japanese student!**

_Chapter 8_

Neither Ren nor Kyoko slept that night.

Ren lay in his coach, his mind deeply troubled. In the wee hours of the morning, he had heard Kyoko scream. He had ignored her, turning the other cheek. He was in no position to help her out, not after the situation that had unfolded the previous day. He had kept thinking that even if he had rushed into the room, she would not have accepted his comfort. That had caused him to groan in frustration. He had only wanted to protect her.

Now, the sun was peaking in at him still lying in the couch. He was worried. He really didn't know what to do. He had no idea of what would happen next. Having Yashiro walk into his apartment so easily was no problem at all, but to have Kyoko call him by name…that had caused confusion. Yashiro in turn knowing her name had caused a bit of jealousy. It was the unspoken words between the two that caused a violent feeling to begin boiling inside the actor.

Ren sighed. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He needed to get rid of this feeling.

It was proving hard to get the scene out of his head; it was much harder however to put the questions that the scene had raised to rest.

Just how did they know each other?

Ren didn't want to think that Yashiro had been a customer of Kyoko, but he couldn't help it. What was Kyoko like with her other customers? Did she kiss them just as she kissed him? Did she touch them just as she touched him? Did she allow them to touch her? His fingers curled into fists as he thought of all the possible things her previous customers might have done to her. Dirty images filled his mind, Yashiro being the man who defiled his Kyoko in all of these images. She was safe now, safe from wandering hands, safe in his arms, but her past haunted him and tortured him. He had to know what history they had together!

He had been happy to hear that Yashiro was not the primary source of her pain, that he was not the one who had so badly scarred her, but what did she mean by indirectly? What the hell was going on here? What would he say to Yashiro when they had to face each other? He surely couldn't hurt him, Yashiro was not only his manager, he was also Ren's friend. Plus, Ren had sworn to put to rest his violence. Only one situation could cause him to use his fists to harm someone. And this was what made things extra complicated. He sighed and dropped his head into the palm of his hand. His fingers massaged his temples. He surely had not expected anything like this.

His shoulders instantly became heavier when he thought of how ungracefully his true identity had been revealed. Girls loved him, but he had lied to her. Girls hated being lied to. Did she even know who 'Ren' really was? Impossible, everyone knew who 'Ren' was. Would she ignore the fact that he had lied to her and do as all girls tended to do – worship him? He looked at the closed door. That was a definite no. A part of him wished she was like other girls. If it was so, she would have been in his arms right now, she would have been completely his. However, he would have been disappointed. Her strong and stubborn personality had captivated him. Her ability to whisk him away to another world had won him over. Her mysteriousness worried him.

He was nothing but nerves. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he had worried so much.

A door flew open and, surprising to himself, he jumped and his heart sped up its beating. He heard footsteps and he told himself that the time had come…

"Good morning," Kyoko said in a business like tone as she sat in the couch adjacent to him.

"Good…morning," he slightly stuttered in reply.

"So, your real name is Ren. Please, explain." Her eyes held no pain. He couldn't tell if she was masking it or if she had become numb to it all. He sat up, putting on his mask. He wouldn't allow her to see just how worried he was, and how uncomfortable he was.

"My real name is Tsuruga Ren. I'm an actor," he answered. He watched her for the dramatic change in expression he knew would come.

She collapsed as a balloon would after being pricked. Her shoulders went down, and her body seemed to cave in. Her lips held the unspoken words of "unbelievable". Then the strangest thing happened. It was the opposite of her first reaction. Her shoulders lifted, her body seemed to expand and she smiled. It was a crafty smile indeed. It was a tad unexpected.

"Perfect," she said. She said nothing else and he could tell she was hesitating.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" he asked.

"Are you really Tsuruga Ren?" Her voice came out timid. She realized this and cleared her throat. This was not the personality she wanted to adopt.

"Yes…I am." He nodded. Wasn't it obvious who he was now? He wasn't in costume and his dangerous aura had fallen in the presence of her.

"Prove it." Her eyes narrowed and he couldn't help the confusion. Did she not know who he was?

"Look at that magazine in front of you, the proof is in there."

She looked at the magazine, taking it up slowly. She opened it, flipped through the pages and stopped. He was guessing that she had found his photo spread. He fought against fidgeting in his seat.

"Why didn't you say?" she asked, looking up, only her eyes visible above the magazine. Even though they were curious, they were also cunning. What was she planning?

"I'm currently preparing for a role. I was in character when I met you. Plus, throwing around my name will only garner attention," he answered. He continued to watch her reactions. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she simply said, "ok" and threw herself into his arms. He was itching to reach out to her. She had him under her spell.

"Even more perfect…." And she trailed off again.

"Anything else?" he asked. He saw her bite her lip and look off. When she brought her eyes back to him, they were burning with determination.

"Get me into the acting business." It was a demand. She didn't stutter and her eyes never lost their flame. She was as serious as they came.

Her demand had caught him completely off guard and for a few seconds he did not know what to say.

"You decided you were going to buy my life, right? So now I'm your responsibility. You're the one who is to take care of me. Now, if you don't want to get me into the acting business, release me from here and I'll do it myself." Her words were passionate as she got to her feet, towering over him. When had she made this decision?

"Sure," was his reply and he saw her eyebrows raise a little in surprise.

"I'll get you in, but I refuse to release you," he said, getting up also. Her face hardened and she stood firm. He stepped closer to her and tilted her head up to his. She had eyes he guessed a prisoner would have. They said "I don't want to do this, but I'll bare my consequences". He took her lips in his, ignoring her eyes.

He felt a pleasure spread through him when their lips touched. He dropped his hand that was holding her chin to his side. His hands didn't need to touch her to make him happy. Her lips moved with his and her hands ran up his to rest on his shoulders. The path her fingers had travelled tingled under his clothes. Just what was she?

She deepened the kiss, thrusting her tongue forcefully into his mouth. Her hands moved to his chest, finding a way under his clothes. Her fingers traced the contours of his abs. His breath came out shakily against her moist lips. Her lips touched his neck and his hands wrapped themselves around her, lifting her up. She nibbled and sucked on his neck and he moaned. She had him like a puppet on a string. She slowly licked the skin she had bitten and then she whispered against his neck. Her sultry voice rose to his ear.

"Anything you so desire, you shall receive… customer Ren, just remember what you have to do for me." Those were the words spoken.

"Kyoko…," he said.

"Mhhmmm," she answered. He could tell she was smiling.

"That prize you promised me."

She chuckled sweetly and it sent cold shivers down his spine. He woke up from his dream world. This Kyoko in his arms was not the one he had met that first night. Neither was she any of the other characters she had shown him. She was not herself either. The word 'evil' flashed across his mind. Would he use that word to describe her now?

"Be patient. I promise, you shall receive it soon," she answered, taking his lips with hers. Those lips threatened to send him back to his dream world. They were so arresting, so perfect, so hers. He couldn't resist their sweet and dirty pleasure. He couldn't resist her. He clutched her some more to him. He simply could not….

XXX XXX

Kanae took in the night air. Oh how promising yet unknown it was. She shouldered her bag and continued walking. She dreaded where she was going, remembering the way she had come all too easily. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she ignored them. She would have the resolve of Kyoko. She would not cry. She would be strong.

She had left the shop. She had said goodbye to her friends, her students, and to the world she had known for so many years. She had given Erika a good cussing and had taken both her and Kyoko's savings.

Kyoko.

That girl was the only string that had tied Kanae to the shop. She could not stand to live without her best friend. Sure, she wasn't the best when it came to showing it, but she felt it, and Kyoko knew her heart.

She trudged along the familiar street and so many memories came rushing back. There were good ones and there were bad ones. She tried to smile, for the tears were too threatening.

She should have left the shop and everyone in it 3 months before, that was when she had turned 18, but she had decided to tough it out with Kyoko. She hadn't been sure of what she would do when she left back then, but she knew she and Kyoko could figure it out.

Kyoko.

Kanae would find her and they would build a life together. They would be each other's wall. They would live life with each other, they would be best friends for life.

She walked through her gate, thoughts of Kyoko running through her heads, thoughts of Yashiro and her loss of the will to love, thoughts of how she grew up beyond this gate, beyond that front door.

She walked up to the door and tapped on it without hesitation. She drew for all her courage, telling herself that no matter what happened, she would never cry, she would be strong.

The door opened and her mother stood in front of her. Kanae's resolve broke and tears ran down her cheeks in torrents. Her mother began crying too and grabbed Kanae into a hug.

"I'm home."

XXX XXX

Kyoko felt strange yet powerful. She heard voices whispering to her. This didn't cause her to think she was insane. Not at all, this caused her to smile. It was as if a box had been opened deep within her when she had made her final decision to definitely take revenge on Sho. It was as if locked up demons within her had surfaced. And they plotted. And she smiled.

_Oh yea, before I forget, a little bit of advertising, if you want to interact with other writers in a really friendly and safe community, For Writers Sake is just for you! Stop by you guys, we welcome new members!_

**Thanks goes out to all those who reviewed: llalinall, Princess Ren, toughest cookie, Firnlambe, Zerimar, ikutoJS and pwenie. Not so many this time around, but thanks all the same! Did I leave anyone out or spell any names wrong?**


	10. Chapter 9

**I know that once again I have allowed this fic to go months without updating. However, I am now on summer vacation, so I don't intend to ignore this fic at all. I am currently trying to do weekly updates. Hopefully, I'll be able to do so much writing and update twice a week eventually. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat…neither have I read the manga for quite some time. *Sweatdrop* Nevermind, its summer now and I've got loads of time on my hands!**

_Chapter 9_

Kyoko dropped another magazine onto the pile at her feet. All morning she had been catching up on who Tsuruga Ren was, and she was nothing short of shocked. What were the odds that the person who would buy her freedom, would be the most famous and recognizable man in all of Japan? She frowned. Most recognizable…yet she hadn't noticed at all.

She lifted her eyes to look at the ceiling as she allowed the memories to come flooding back. Even all those years ago, before Sho became the second most popular male in Japan, Tsuruga Ren had been his rival. Though unknown to Ren at that time, Sho could see his potential, and considered him his arch enemy, and Kyoko had been on his side 100%. She had refused to buy any products that had a connection with Tsuruga Ren. His name had been just that to her over the years. Just a name. What coincidence. What luck.

Kyoko muttered curses under her breath and picked up the next magazine, her eyes falling to the cover. What were the odds indeed that the person who now "owned" her, was Sho's greatest rival. A rather evil smirk played across her face. She was in the best position ever to take her revenge. Maybe this was similar to someone selling their soul to the devil.

In order to carry out revenge, she would have to be under the ownership of Tsuruga Ren. But it would be worth it. She would burst onto the scene as fresh blood and shock him. All those times he called her stupid, and worthless, and a whore…She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth at that one. She had never done anything to hurt Sho…yet he had said all those hurtful things to her. He had made her cry so many times, only to look on after with a helpless face. He had never known what to do to make her stop crying. He had never known.

She would show him. She would become famous, as an actress. And she would do it with Tsuruga Ren. She would hurt him worse. Much much worse. She was going to hit him where it hurt the most. His pride. She felt a laugh bubble within her. She imagined it would sound rather evil, being a gift from her new found demons of course. Not that she minded. They had made her vision much clearer. They were now her encouragement.

Kyoko's breath got hitched in her throat and she felt her cheeks warm up against her will. The slowly rising heat quickly spread throughout her body. Was there any way to stop it? Right on the page she had turned to was a somewhat centrefold of none other than Tsuruga Ren. The only thing he wore was a towel around his waist. His dark eyes were settled comfortably on the camera, but it gave her chills. He looked as if he knew exactly who it was that was looking at his picture at that moment. The water droplets clung to him as if they had been set on his body specifically and individually. His hair was damp, but didn't hang limply around his head. A few strands were plastered against his forehead. His lips were slightly parted in an inviting manner. He was seducing her.

She couldn't bring herself to close it. The longer she looked at it, the more things she realized. The dark and long lashes that framed his eyes. The pink softness of his lips. The slightly defining borders of his muscles. His long limbs. His perfection.

"Kyoko," a voice called from the door. She jumped and tried to slam the magazine shut before he could realize what she was caught up on. Instead, she sent the magazine flying away from her and over to Ren's feet. She coloured what she figured was a bright red when she realized that much like the Tsuruga in the magazine, this real life Tsuruga was also wearing nothing but a towel.

'Damn him,' she seethed mentally.

Ren bent down to pick up the magazine that Kyoko had been reading. He flipped through it, stopping at his page. A smile went off on his face. His eyes moved from the magazine to rest on the girl slumped on the floor, her cheeks blazing a ridiculous defiant red.

"You know Kyoko…I was just about ready to take a shower. You can join if you like," he said. Kyoko's heart pounded against her chest so loudly that she feared he would hear it all the way across the room.

"No…no thanks. I'm fine like this," she said, pulling the robe she had on around her tightly and looking away from him, fighting her blush. This was definitely not anything like the prelude to love. That, and all other feelings related to romance, had been locked away in her with the decision to finally take revenge on Sho. She had no intention of falling for Tsuruga Ren, despite all the advances she knew she would get from him. What she was feeling was more beastly, more terrifying…it was a fire ready to rage uncontrollably. Was this a fault of her own? Had her idea to use Ren as a ladder to her success backfired in the form of lust?

She gulped. Lust?

Ren grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her up and over his shoulder. She let out a surprised and half terrified scream as he made his way to the one and only bathroom in the apartment.

"Put me down, you savage!" Kyoko hissed. She felt like she was in a movie. Being carried off against one's will never happened in real life…did it?

She heard, rather than saw when the door to the bathroom closed and then Ren put her on her feet. She backed away from him, clutching her robe tightly around her chest area, her cheeks still warm. Ren eyes pierced into hers for a second, then he smiled and stepped toward her, backing her up against the wall. He put his hands against the wall, right beside her head, effectively trapping her against the wall. Kyoko knew her terror showed in her eyes, but she couldn't help it.

He was so close, just oozing a natural dark atmosphere. She gulped and reminded herself that this was all a part of her ploy. All she had to do was play along with him, and stall him from getting what he wanted.

Ren bent his neck so that he could be at the same eye level as her.

"You have the cutest blush I have ever seen," he said, his voice truthful. He didn't wait for any form of answer from her. He pressed his lips to hers.

Kyoko grabbed his waist, the towel soft against her palms, she needed something to steady herself. His kiss was so soft, their lips barely touching, but it was fanning the tiny candle like flame that had started burning in her. He pulled away slightly and she gasped against his lips, her hot breath curling against them. He licked his lips and bit down on the bottom one as he moved his head away from hers. She felt the tenseness of his body.

'No. I'm not finished. I want more,' she thought. She grasped his hips tightly and pulled them to her own with a force that caused him to let out a short "oh". She went on the tips of her toes, Ren's lips her goal. He bent his neck without hesitation, allowing her to get at them. It was a soft kiss yet again and Kyoko felt like she was crumbling apart. Her legs wobbled underneath her, threatening to pull her away.

Her legs won and she cursed mentally as they broke contact. She stood flat footed, her head on the same level as his chest.

"Cain…Ren…" she started, her voice shaky, her demeanour vulnerable. Just standing there with him made things feel unfinished. There was something else that had to be done. She took a deep breath and slid her robe off her shoulders. Why not get it over with and move on? Get the burning out of her skin. Give him what he had been asking for ever since he had brought her to his home. She had often times heard of girls sleeping with their superiors to make their way to the top. Maybe she was to be thrown in the lot with all those girls right now. She needed a way to get to the top so that she could trample a specific someone under her heel.

No.

No.

She would NEVER resort to using her body like that. Her shame had not been cancelled out by her need for vengeance.

"No," Ren said, stopping her from pulling her robe open in front of him. She stopped, her hands on the belt. She licked her bottom lip in a seemingly subconscious move. She saw his jaw tighten. Her hands flitted over to his, gently massaging them, encouraging him.

Just how much longer could she bluff her way through this? Just how long would he allow her to dangle him from the cliff before he fell off in a fit of passion and violated her?

"Are you sure?" she purred at him.

"I think its best after all if I take a shower alone," he said. They stood there for a moment, their eyes staring at anything but each other.

Ren kissed her shoulder to break the silence, his eyes carefully avoiding hers, saving her from revealing the vulnerability she felt and knew was reflected in her orbs. He stepped away from her, and she sighed internally.

He stepped into the shower, pulling the door close behind him. His towel appeared over the top of the shower. Kyoko looked at the blurry outline of him, her eyebrows furrowed, confusion settling in. What was his game? Did he want her heart? Or her body?

She left the bathroom in a confused huff, slamming the door behind her and then jumping on the bed. How long could she keep it going? How long before he succumbed to the fire she knew she had started within him? How long before _she_ gave in to the burning in her joints? Why was she still confused after finding clarity in her plans for revenge?

She buried her face in her hands. It was all still so confusing, but she knew she had to keep up her act. She could do it. She would do it.

Kyoko fiddled with her long hair as she waited for Ren in the living room. He had called and arranged a meeting for her with the president of the company he worked with. She was excited, yes, but much more worried. Before long she would face the moment that would make her or break her in showbiz. She couldn't mess up…she was doing this for revenge. She would not falter.

"Yashiro will be coming around with the car," Ren said as he stepped out of the room. He was wearing a suit, and was giving off a totally different vibe than the one his alter ego Cain had been giving off. It was as if he had turned into a completely different person. She was amazed. This man was so good at acting, that even a different aura he could produce. Was she capable of anything like that?

"Yashiro?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as he looked up at her.

"Yes, Yashiro. He's my manager," Ren answered. Kyoko said nothing else. Of course, what else was to be expected? She was going to be forced to confront him, or at the very most, be forced to deal with a very uncomfortable situation.

"Ok," Kyoko answered, her eyes locking with Ren's for a few seconds before he pulled them away in a rather guilty manner. She looked away too, feeling the awkwardness begin to build up.

He hadn't looked at her properly and directly ever since he took his shower, and she didn't know why. He had barely come close to her too. His advances had suddenly stopped, it was as if he had washed them off and down the drain. She was still confused about this, confused about where she stood with him.

_Can I really do this?_

She fixed her eyes on the door and hugged herself. This was no time for doubts. She needed to make a FINAL resolve. She could not be shaken from her decisions now.

A knock sounded off on the door, causing both occupants of the room to look at it. The interruption of silence had done nothing to the slight tension that had built up between them.

As Ren crossed the room to get to the door, Kyoko knew who was on the other side.

"The car is waiting for you both," Yashiro said as the door opened. Kyoko could see the bags under his eyes and the stress in his brow. She felt her body go stiff and the air she inhaled was suddenly replaced by hatred. She could feel the substance burning her nose and filling her lungs. Her eyes latched onto him. His eyes briefly met hers before dropping suddenly in obvious fear to the ground. Without missing another beat, he turned and left the doorway, Kyoko's hatred for him clearly transcending the distance and barriers to hit him wherever it hurt the most.

'I hate him,' she thought vehemently. And suddenly she was no longer afraid of facing him. She would be sure to make him repent in the most horrible, painful way she could think of. Moko san would have her revenge too.

"Kyoko," Ren called, gesturing toward the door. With her head held high she walked through it, her new heels going clink clink on the floor. The wind outside whipped her hair about her face, but filled her with a surge of determination.

She was going to ace whatever the company flung her way.

She was going to give a good knockout punch to Sho's pride.

No one would ever get to her heart.

And Ren would never lay a welcoming finger on her again.

She started down the stairs, holding on carefully to the railing, tucking her hair behind her ear to keep it out of her eyes. She had to believe in herself, and she had to stick to her decisions. As of now, it was just her. Just her…

'If only Moko-san was here…'

**I think that was…kinda ok. I'll try to make the next chapter give this fic a good kick into the direction we all know it's going in – the take revenge direction. We all know it's about time. I've been through 9 chapters and a prologue already!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapters:**

**Maria, Caramel, KaoriCarrie, . , sno-zutto, Onion 345, silver-zenko-kitsune, skipbeataddict, mehj, Ghost reader, toughestcookie, pot3kettle, Zerimar, Princess Ren, Firnlambe, maplett, llalinall, pwenie and my lovely beta Sunechirei. ^_^**

**And a special thanks to Firnlambe who PMed me and let me know that people are actually still interested in this and need an update. This is your chapter. :D**


	11. Chapter 10

**Sorry guys, this should have been up this weekend. Eh…not 6 months this time around! Yay! I've gotten to the point where I have to plan out this fic. Seems I have quite a ways to go. It looks like I'll have 20+ chapters. I'll try to get the out all before September. :) Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat.**

_Chapter 10_

The limit of discomfort in back seat of the car had been greatly reduced by Yashiro's decision to sit at the front, beside the driver. Kyoko noticed through the rearview mirror that the manager couldn't keep his eyes still. They would dart from the passing scenery outside, to his boots and even to the mirror above his head to see the two in the backseat. Kyoko met his gaze head on every single time he decided to steal a glance at them. He had looked away immediately all these times, his cheeks flaring an embarrassing red. She kept wondering if he was stupid or brave with all his attempts to challenge her, because that must be what he was doing by constantly looking back at them.

The lingering discomfort that did indeed hang about in the air of the back seat ebbed off Tsuruga Ren as he stared, silently, outside. Kyoko proposed internally that he wasn't looking at the passing scenery, he was just caught up in his thoughts; thoughts that not even the bravest dare interrupt.

She herself found it hard to get caught up in her thoughts as buildings and people she had never seen the likes of passed by. She found the architecture of the buildings fascinating and sometimes mind boggling, while she found the people and their sense of style eye catching and very interesting. Pretty things had always caught her eye.

Her fingers crept up to her neck to fiddle with the necklace there. She had grown so attached to it in such a short length of time. She had even named it Rosa. It was so beautiful. She had never owned something quite like it before. She loved to look at it, but only did so while Ren was sleeping. Every time she gazed upon the stone in the necklace, she felt her guard dropping, she felt like a child again. She didn't want him to catch her like that. She didn't want him to see who she was.

"We're here. LME," the driver said, the boom barrier lifting, allowing the car to enter the parking lot. It was then that Kyoko realized the huge building and the fact that the driver had turned off the main street to circle around to the back of said building. She took a peek at Ren via her periphery vision. He didn't seem to notice what the driver had said; he was still staring outside.

However, when the car edged itself into a parking space, Ren's door was the first to be opened, that distant look still in his eye. He slammed it behind him and Kyoko's hand went limp on her door handle. Really…what was up with the sudden change in him?

Her door fell open and her body jerked having not expected the act. It was Ren. He held out a hand to her, his eyes showing that he had returned to this planet. She took it and he helped her gently out of the car, slamming the door shut after her.

'Such a gentleman,' she spat in her head.

"Now, if you'll follow Mr. Yukihito," Ren said, gesturing toward Yashiro, who had walked off the moment he had stepped out of the car. Kyoko nodded, her brows set in determination as she fell behind Yashiro, Ren by her side, silent yet again.

The parking lot noticeably lacked what it was made for – parked cars. It was big enough to hold maybe 50 cars, but less than 10 had been placed between the appropriate lines marked out as guidelines. Kyoko assumed that this back packing lot was made for celebrities, those who would have a hard time walking through the front door of the building.

The security guard who opened the door at the back, didn't conceal his "who the hell are you?" look when he noticed Kyoko. She ignored it, her fist clenching in annoyance. Pretty soon the whole world would know who she was, and pretty soon Sho would be shocked down to his rockstar panties. They approached the elevator and Ren and Kyoko entered, Yashiro remaining on the outside.

"I'll be right with you Yashiro," Ren said. The man nodded and looked away. Kyoko expected that he would be glad to not be forced to exist in the same space as her any longer. She felt a tug of a smile on her lips. He was paying for it.

As the elevator doors closed, Ren let out a small sigh…or at least she thought he had let out a small sigh. She turned her head to look at him, just in time to see his lips move and to hear him talk.

"You'll be meeting with President Lory Takarada on the top floor. He has promised to give you a chance to prove yourself, and that's as far as his favours to me will extend," he said, his eyes falling onto Kyoko's face.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking it from here. I can do this," she said, her voice determined. She was shocked when Ren replied by taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers.

"Will this make you happy?" He asked. Their eyes were locked on each other.

"Yes," Kyoko answered. She hadn't blinked, her expression had remained as rock solid as before.

"Will this make you hurt less?" He asked.

"Damn sure it will," she said, a smirk following up on her words. It seemed to her that Ren had taken a step back from her at her last sentence, but once again it may have been that she was imagining it, because at the blink of an eye, he was closer to her than he was when they had gotten into the elevator. Maybe it was the nervousness that had gathered a steady but low beat, originating in her core and spreading all over her body.

"Good," he replied and smiled. And what a smile it was. It lit up his face and the air of the elevator. It was absolutely radiant. Absolutely radiant and chillingly disturbing. Kyoko felt a prickly shiver roll down her spin, taking its sweet time to dissipate. What was it with this smile? Why did it shine so brightly yet hold so many dangers unknown?

The doors binged open and Ren walked out, pulling her behind him, their fingers still intertwined. Kyoko looked down at them and for the hundredth time thought how strange their relationship was. He was obviously having problems deciding at what level they should communicate, while she was certain that he would have neither her body nor her emotions. He would receive nothing from her. And all of this was going on in the context of him owning her.

He pulled her along a simple maze of desks, the people behind them looking up and curiously at Kyoko, heading for the office at the end of the room that was obviously the President's office. It was so big and divided from everything else. Ren didn't slow down when he approached it, neither did he knock. He flung the door open as if it was his own and brought Kyoko to stand in front of him and in front of the desk where a much older man with crazy hair sat. He looked up. Ren let loose his grip on Kyoko's hand and her nervousness once before a steady and low beat, hit a few irregular high notes that had her heart close to the point of caving in on itself.

"Well, hello there Ren, my boy. I see you have brought your friend along!"

And at that moment her demons' strength surged through her and she dispelled the nervousness with a deep, confident breath.

"Mogami Kyoko, a pleasure to meet you sir."

XXX

Kyoko closed the door behind her, the president's laughter still reaching her ears despite the thickness of his doors. She had no idea what had come over her, or how she had come up with what she had done, but she knew she had made a hell of an impression on LME's prez.

"I'm assuming you've got good news," Ren's voice spoke up. Kyoko jumped slightly, as Ren's head popped up from one of the cubicles nearby.

"Ren," she admonished in a breathy voice.

"So, is it?" He asked.

"Is it what?" She teased. She couldn't help the smile that came forth. Ren eyed her, words not needed.

"Ok, ok…" Kyoko said, turning away from him and walking out of the office, clearly heading to the elevator, but more clearly, teasing Ren.

She could hear his footsteps behind her. Just like an obedient puppy. Just like the obedient puppy she was moulding him into.

She pressed the down button and the elevator opened almost immediately. She stepped in, Ren behind her not missing a beat.

"Kyoko," he semi growled. He wasn't very patient today.

"I got a part in a commercial," Kyoko said, proud that she had managed to keep her voice at one level. She felt like doing a victory dance, a victory lap around the field…a victory something!

"Interesting," Ren murmured as he leaned on the back of the elevator. Kyoko raised a brow at him, not letting his lack of enthusiasm stop hers.

"How so?" She ventured with a question.

"So very interesting." Ren's musing continued. Kyoko rolled her eyes and looked away from him. Hadn't he been very clear about how much he cared for her before? Where was his excitement? Where was his…

"Kyoko," he said, cutting off her thoughts. She turned to face him, her eyes drifting up to his. They were dark and held so many secrets. He bent his neck to her face, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. And he confusion continued. On her cheek? Why? Why was he backing off?

When he pulled back, her pulled her body closer to his, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace. When he pulled back from that too, he looked down into her eyes and caressed her cheek. She waited for him to say something, but nothing came. He simply held her, loosely by the waist, as he gazed at her as if he had been struck with Cupid 's arrow. Kyoko couldn't stare into his eyes. The voices in her head wouldn't let her. They kept telling her to look away. The eyes were the mirror of the soul. They didn't want him to see through to Kyoko's rotten one.

The door binged open and she moved away from him. As if on cue, Ren's cellphone went off.

"Hello," he answered. Kyoko didn't hear his conversation, she was busy mulling over Ren's new tactics. She knew for sure that he hadn't given up on figuring her out, but he had noticeably changed his strategy at getting his answers from her. He had kept contact with her to a minimum and he had somehow locked up his 'Emperor of the Night' act. What was he aiming to do?

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It wasn't important right now to figure out Ren's mind. What was important was the commercial she had talked her way into.

Kyoko looked around her. This would be where she would make it happen. This was her headquarters for revenge.

"Ok, I'll be there," Ren said, ending the conversation. Kyoko looked at him curiously.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"I have a meeting with a director about my new role. Go wait in the car," he said, turned and walked off. Kyoko's eyebrow twitched with anger.

XXX

Sho was downright pissed. He mumbled to himself, his arms crossed over him chest, his feet tapping away on the tiles as he waited for his manager Shoko. She had proclaimed that she had a teeny tiny errand to run that would only take her 5 minutes, then they would be on their way to the studio to record his next song.

It wasn't the sitting out in a deserted hallway alone for the past 15 minutes that was the main cause of him being pissed off, it was where the hallway was. In the LME building. Of all places for Shoko to bring him, she had brought him to his arch rival's agency.

Tsuruga Ren. Number one male in Japan, 3 years running. Sho had seen the extent of his popularity from before he was known as number one. Number one was what 18 year old Fuwa Sho was aiming for, and because of that, he had always made sure to be better, with so much more flare and fashion sense than anyone else that existed in Japan. Especially Tsuruga Ren.

"That bastard," Sho growled, kicking over the trash bin that sat to his left on the floor. To his amazement, a foot eased its way into his vision, sliding under the trash bin and cushioning its fall. The garbage that was stacked on top fell out.

Sho looked up in fury to see who had blocked his display of anger. His face froze, his mouth slightly open when he realized who it was.

"Tsuruga Ren," he said, his voice low. There stood the man he hated the most. The man whose spot he was going to take. He smirked. Ren looked between the bin that he was still balancing on his foot and Sho.

"My apologies," Sho started, "my legs…are too long." He crossed his legs and assumed a forced relaxed composure. This would be a defining moment in his domination of Tsuruga. This was the moment where he would make Tsuruga Ren aware of exactly who he, Fuwa Sho, was. This was his opportunity to drive fear into this idol.

Sho smirked as he looked up at the taller man, their eyes meeting. He had sent out his challenge, and he was waiting for it to hit home.

Suddenly, Tsuruga smiled, a dazzling smile that knocked Sho into surprise and almost out of his relaxed state.

"I understand. Long legs can be so troublesome sometimes," Tsuruga said. With a flick of his ankle, the bin was flipped back in its original spot.

"The trash that got on the floor…please remember to clean it up." Though the man was smiling that dazzling scary smile, his tone had gotten dark on the last part of his sentence, sending a cold shiver right down Sho's spine, chilling him to the core.

Tsuruga didn't wait for an answer from the startled rock star. He walked off, a blonde haired man that Sho hadn't noticed following behind him.

As Tsuruga rounded the corner and disappeared, Sho felt the anger build up in him once more and he eyed the trash bin again. Yet, nothing compelled him to kick it over once more. There was something keeping him still. There had been something about his little encounter with Tsuruga Ren that had him fixed to the spot.

'Damn him!' Sho screamed in his head.

"Are you ready Sho…oh." Shoko had popped out of the meeting room only to meet the face of a very upset superstar teen.

XXX

"Love Me," Kanae read from the cover of the brochure, "a charity set up for aspiring actors." She glanced up at the building she was standing in front of. The sign boldly stated that it was the home of LME.

'Ah, mo…why am I doing this?" Kanae asked herself as she stared up at the building. It was huge, strange, terrifying…but it held a future for her. She had always been interested in acting. Now, of all times, her chance had appeared. She remembered talking to Kyoko about this – about making it big time.

She sighed as she climbed up the steps. She missed her best friend.

At the thought of Kyoko, Kanae's guilt seeped deeper into her bones. How could she think about herself when Kyoko was out in a world that had rejected her before? Not to mention she was with a man of questionable character.

She pushed the front door opened and hesitated as her eyes made contact with the lady at the front desk.

Questionable character.

That was what was resounding in her head.

Kyoko was alone…with a strange man. Kanae felt a lump rise to her throat and suddenly she couldn't breathe.

A strange man.

And Kyoko.

"Damn it," she cussed, slightly wheezing as disastrous thoughts attacked her mind.

Human trafficking.

Rape.

Illegal organ trading.

Death.

Kanae saw the shaking before she felt it. She looked down at her hands, the brochure clutched in her right one. She felt her heart beat slow down. She couldn't get any oxygen to it. She was freaking out. She was freaking out right in front of the front doors of a very popular entertainment agency. What the hell had she been thinking?

Her vision started to blur and the voices of the people around her were fading, and fading, and fading…

"I see you're here for the Love Me meeting. Please, this way," a voice said. The hand of the person to whom the voice belonged clapped itself good naturedly on Kanae's shoulder. Suddenly she could breathe properly again and everything shifted into perfect focus. She could hear the voices of the many people walking by her.

The look in the man's eyes were certainly of pity as he hooked his hand through hers, guiding her gently to the room. Kanae followed obediently, thinking of how much she wanted this. She wanted this so much that she was bumping her friend's safety down to the second most important thing that needed attention.

'Kyoko will be fine. She can take care of herself,' Kanae thought as the man led her into a room filled with people. She clutched her hand to her heart and offered up quick prayers for her friend.

She was ok.

Kyoko was ok.

**And so ends another chapter! If there is any inconsistency with the characters and characteristics, please let me know. **

**Thanks to those who reviewed:**

**Pwenie, Mimi, Claire, saizen24, Amanthya, Michelle. Tsw, Firnlambe, maplett, Zerimar and skipbeataddict!**


	12. Chapter 11

**I know the tone of this fic has changed a lot. I would really love to know how you guys feel about that. It's getting a little boring to me, but certain things do need to be dealt with. Not quite sure if I should continue or change it or stop it… :/**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat. I also do not own the poem I used in here.**

_Chapter 11_

Yashiro waited patiently outside the office. Ren had opted to go in alone to discuss his role as Cain Heel with the director. Well, maybe that would be a kinder way to put Ren's decision to enter the meeting alone. It was more along the lines of Yashiro being _barred_ from entering the room, and Yashiro knew why.

The guilt that he thought he had gotten rid of so many years before had come right around in a complete circle. All those thoughts through which he consoled himself, through which he told himself that time would sort it all out, that he would never see her again, that their lives would continue working out all for the best…were now proving to be delusional. He had been distracting himself instead of dealing with the situation.

But, really, how could one deal with a situation like that?

Countless times he had been reminded that he had been the wrong one in the ordeal. He was the one who had broken his promises, broken her heart and broken their future.

Her name had always caused his heart to ache him, though he knew all too well that emotions were from the brain, not the heart. The heart was where she had tucked herself away. Her name hadn't come up in a while though, and he had been spared the heartache and guilt that had kept him agitated, awake and a secret alcoholic for many a month after their last encounter. It looked as if his peace had finally come to its conclusion.

Mogami Kyoko. Best friend and kouhai of Kanae. He had met her of course. She was the one who meant the most to Kanae. He had admitted to Kanae one night that he was jealous of their relationship, jealous that Kyoko was first, had always been first and would always be first. She had told him that Kyoko was the only person she knew who would never fail her. Kyoko was the only one who could work in perfect sync with her. Yashiro had promised her that night that he would also never fail her, and that now she had two people she could trust. They had made beautiful love that night, and at the end of it, when they were cuddled together, tangled in the sheets, he knew that she believed him. She trusted him.

The door opened and brought him from his thoughts…thankfully. His guilt had no limit. He was wrong, through and through. Not even forgiveness from Kanae could make him feel any better, not that he expected it from her after what he had done.

Ren exited, glancing briefly at Yashiro before walking off. Yashiro quickly followed behind his charge, head bowed, his mind clattered with words, words he wanted to say to Ren, words that would end the silence. Silence that was definitely uncharacteristic of Ren.

"Ren, I'm sorry," Yashiro blurted, barely looking up at the tall actor.

"Oh?" Ren responded, his tone clearly indicating that he wanted Yashiro to explain himself. Yashiro fiddled with his fingers, trying to decide how to explain it all, especially when greeted by such a strange version of the man in front of him.

"I know Kyoko because she was once a seductress," he started. Ren kept walking, Yashiro finding it hard to keep up with the man's long strides. It was frustrating. Equally as frustrating as him not wanting to listen, especially since they had much more than a manager-client relationship. They were friends after all…weren't they? Plus, Ren was one who leaned toward a more straight forward manner of dealing with things. This silent treatment was absolutely…preposterous!

"What is this silence? I think it's stupid that you'll listen to her, but not to me. All day it has been like this. Can't you stop for one minute and listen to my side of the story?" Yashiro asked, stopping in the middle of the empty hallway. He flinched internally at how loud his voice sounded. He really hadn't meant to raise his voice. Ren came to a slow halt and turned to look at his manager.

"Then talk," he answered, his expression unreadable. This was even more frustrating. All these years he had known Ren, and this was what things had come down to? The cold shoulder?

"You know what, if you're going to give me the cold shoulder as a friend, don't do that to your manager. I am the one who maintains your schedule and ensures you get good deals out of these nasty directors and agents. Do you know how that director earlier could have preyed on you? Next time, even if _this_ is going on still, I won't be stopped from doing my job," Yashiro said, planting his feet firm and tossing his fear out the window. He straightened his shoulders, his hands lying stiffly by his side. He tried to gather up some strength for Ren's comeback. That mini speech just had to get a reaction out of him.

Ren was silent and Yashiro wondered if he had failed after all.

"I'm not giving you the cold shoulder." A blatant lie. It both confused and frustrated Yashiro.

"Then why won't you let me explain?" Yashiro asked, irritated at Ren's behavior.

"Didn't I?" Ren asked, raising both eyebrows in a "go ahead" manner. Yashiro eyed the man, trying to read his body language. He seemed somehow more open to what Yashiro had to say.

"I…I used to visit her best friend…Kotonami Kanae," Yashiro started, his eyes still watching Ren's reactions. Nothing had changed.

"Kanae and I were…interested in each other. I saw her continuously for a couple of months. I decided one day not to go back and well…I'm guessing Kyoko has been holding a grudge," he finished. He didn't want to go into the gory details.

"How did Kyoko end up working there?" Ren asked. Yashiro's head jerked back slightly in surprise. The actor had jumped right over the topic of Kanae and had chosen to speak about her best friend. Did…did Ren have a thing for this girl?

"How did Kyoko end up at your place?" Yashiro asked, raising a brow. For the first time since coming in contact with the seductress at Ren's temporary apartment, his curiousity about her was piqued. How had she met Ren? It could never be at the seductress' shop. Information like that when made aware to the public would spark rumours…devastating rumours not fit for Tsuruga Ren.

"Yashiro…" Ren started.

"If you got her from the seductress' shop, we have a possible problem," Yashiro cut him off.

"What do you mean?" The dark haired man was as calm as ever.

"The papers will never shut up about it. Many people consider these seductresses as prostitutes. This will not be good."

"Then it will never get out," Ren said. Damn it! Ren had gotten her from the shop and damn it again…he liked her!

"It was a guy," Yashiro said, volunteering the answer to the question Ren had asked earlier. Ren's eyebrows stiffened and Yashiro knew that he was obviously following the broken conversation.

"It was a guy who landed her in there. That's all I know." Yashiro couldn't help noticing the continuous upkeep of Ren's newfound strangeness re his personality. It was already hard to read his true emotions when he was displaying them, but when he was covering them with a mask…close to impossible.

At that moment however, the only information Yashiro could glean from the most popular male in Japan was that he liked this girl. How concerned he was about his reputation didn't seem like something he was worried about.

He should be.

He should be worried about how he would deal with the paparazzi when they caught him with an unidentifiable girl, especially if they caught him with this unidentifiable girl repeatedly. Ren wasn't the type who held girlfriends for long, despite the many he was known to had have. Or maybe it would be better to say that these girls weren't the type who could hold his attention for very long.

Now Yashiro was worried. He couldn't allow this to happen. Of course it was said that bad publicity was good publicity, but how would Ren deal with such a foreign invasion of privacy?

"The director said filming has been cancelled," Ren said, turning and walking to the back parking lot, Yashiro assumed. He fell in step beside the man. Things felt back to normal now.

"For how long?" Yashiro asked, reaching into his pocket for his gloves before pulling out his handheld. He quickly pulled up Ren's schedule.

"A few months, he didn't specify," Ren answered, gazing down at his schedule. He watched as Yashiro cancelled all shootings for Cain Heel.

"Looks like you'll have more time to work on Katsuki".

He had said it gently for he knew it must be frustrating Ren. He had aced every single role given to him, except this one. They had given him some time off to develop his character more, but there was no doubt that he would lose his role if he couldn't perform properly at the next shoot. That spelt bad news for the actor. Very bad news.

Ren's lips stiffened tightly. It was obvious he had a problem with his problem. Who wouldn't if they were known as the best male entertainer in a country? Then again, Ren had never seemed to let that define him or drive him. But would losing it affect him none the less? Just because he didn't show any obvious attachment to the title and the meaning behind it, didn't mean he would shrug off his acting failures.

They emerged into the parking lot, their vehicle the sole vehicle there. There driver was nowhere to be seen.

They walked over to the car. The doors were definitely locked. Ren gazed beyond the tinted glass to see if Kyoko had been locked inside while the driver had gone off. She wasn't.

XXX XXX

Kanae almost fell off her chair and the book that had been provided as a script for her a few minutes earlier almost hit the ceiling when the door to the Love Me room flew open followed by a set of musical instruments going off. More specifically, it was a set of drums being banged so professionally and rhythmically that she felt compelled to get up and dance along with them, only she was so shocked at the suddenness of the noise that she found it challenging to move her body. She tried to hide the shocked expression on her face, but failed miserably. This was especially so when a man dressed in a loincloth entered the room in a rather grandiose fashion, his chest gleaming and greeting not just the Love Me hopefuls but the world, his feet bare, his long black hair giving him the air of a rebel, but his neatly trimmed moustache reaffirming his maturity and surprisingly his superiority.

"Good day! I am…Lory Takarada, President of LME. I greet you my lovely actors!" He announced to the room, further stupefying those in it. Not only was his entrance completely glamourous, his title was utterly terrifying. He was the man whose hands they were in. One wrong move on their part and he could and probably would drop them like they were hot dumplings scalding his skin.

"Sawara!" He called out, either ignoring or being completely used to the astonished expressions all around the room. His entrance had left the occupants of the room breathlessly quiet. They couldn't make a sound, or rather, they didn't dare to.

"Ah, yes, Mr. President," the man addressed as Sawara spoke up. It was the same man who had escorted Kanae to the room.

"Are we ready to begin auditions?" The president asked.

"We are. We were waiting for you actually," Sawara answered, gesturing toward a table where 3 people already sat.

"Then, let's begin!" The President announced loudly, gliding over to his seat with his bare feet.

"Number 1! You're up!" Sawara called out. Kanae flinched as she heard her number. They sure weren't giving anyone any extra time. She summoned an amount of calmness, picked up the book that had fallen on the floor and walked over to the table of judges.

"Kotonami Kanae. Ask me to start reciting from any page. No need to tell me the title of the poem," she said firmly, handing them the book. They nodded, acknowledging her instruction and also giving her the cue to head onto the stage.

With heavy feet, Kanae walked past the group of Love Me hopefuls, all wishing either for a better life, or just a breakthrough in show business through whatever means possible. They all seemed to be whispering. Whispering about her.

"There's no way she can do that!" A hushed exclamation.

"Impossible. She just got that book!" A voice laced with negativity.

"How exciting…and so intimidating." A barely audible defeated voice.

Kanae took her spot in the centre of it all, a little shaky from all the eyes locked on her and from her dream, her childhood dream. She was so close to being an actress! So close! All she had to do was recite the lines they wanted. She hadn't done it in a while, but she knew her skills weren't very rusty.

"Page 113," someone at the table said.

Kanae took a breath that she was hoping no one saw and pulled up the page and paragraph in her mind.

"The Wall by Lancelot Murray," she proclaimed to the onlookers, ready to impress.

**"****Fear**…

Doubt…

Uncertainty…

And Lack of Confidence.

These are the four walls that boxed me in as I stared at my open-palmed trembling hands,

Seeing myself more fragile than ever, protected by skin, flesh, muscles, and bones,

But what was inside those bones was nothing.

My existence would end at the breaking of these shaking bones…

In an attempt to pull away from my humanity I looked up and felt my heart dip itself in protest,

I would **not** be able to move without breaking down all four walls,

One alone would do me no good as the remaining three would close into a triangular prison.

_Two then?_

No, the remaining two would make a Cowardice Sandwich of me, bleeding mustard from the sides.

"I am no coward."

**trembling hands.** become fists, shaking feet taking their stance.

"I am no coward."

Walls assaulted, hands bleeding red… no results but pain.

"I… am trapped."

_Am I? Lack of Confidence is overcome with self-assurance._

Down went the wall behind me.

_Uncertainty is overcome with belief in one's self._

Down went the wall to my right.

_Doubt, with faith in one's self, and Fear with acceptance of one's self._

The left wall and the wall before me crumbled.

And then there it was, the greatest wall of them all,

Humanity… and Impossibility.

_How can I destroy my humanity?_

Destroy it? No. Surpass it, yes.

The **Humanity** was cemented by Impossibility,

And there I found its weakness.

_The impossible_**_exists_**_in the realm of my own limitations._

_I am boundless, free of mind, spirit, and will._

_I have no limits; even death is my ally against dishonor._

And there that final wall shattered.

The Path opened itself to me – no, I opened that path.

So I ran, as fast as the wind could curse as gravity lost its hold on me,

I vaulted as high as the stars could see as galaxies began to envy me,

And I existed, **beyond** the thoughts of mankind, beyond the capabilities of non-believers,

But for what?

Now I was alone, enlightened, with none to share my revelations with.

If only… if only I had known to use the rubble from the walls as my foundations and build my way to this place,

Perhaps then I could have found my way back to **mortality.**

Unfortunately without my walls, I have nowhere to go.

May this message reach into the hearts of Earth,

Do not destroy your walls, use them to build something greater."

Kanae ended on what she knew was a strong note. She could feel the familiarity of accomplishment burn within her, and she couldn't help the sudden rush of confidence that seemed to touch her eyes. She could feel the fire they held. It felt good. She looked over at the judges. Their eyes were on the verge of sparkling. They were captivated. The room fell quiet; not even the shuffling of one of the many chairs was heard.

"Young lady," the president spoke, "you have the makings of a star."

XXX XXX

"Love Me," Kyoko read out loud the biggest words on a poster that was plastered on a set of double doors. Before she was finished reading the rest of the poster, she was starting to think 'Love Me' was an interesting concept and she felt strangely drawn to push open the doors and to see what the aspiring actors and actresses were like. She could already hear the chattering from those inside. She pushed against the doors, feeling them move forward under her palms.

**Feeling a bit unsure about this fic right now and sorry, I couldn't come up with a proper Lory entrance this time around. I shall work on his future entrances! Please review and let me know what you guys think. Good? Bad? Any suggestions on what you want to see? Any inconsistencies? Lemme know please!**

**A special thanks to my friend who let me use his poem. :)**

**Also, thanks to my reviewers:**

**A guest, , Lynn Beltran, Lady of the Hunt, sno-zutto, skipbeatlover592, RaquellaRose, luckyschoolgirl, Ghost reader, Freya's Doll, LittleLiar666 and cobalt eyes. **


	13. Chapter 12

**Ah, yes! So many wonderful responses to my last chapter! It made me so happy and relieved that people are still with me as I enter my uncertainty period when it comes on to writing fanfiction. I'm feeling much better about this fanfic because of that, and also because I recently reread every single Skip Beat chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat**

_Chapter 12_

"You really shouldn't go in there, President Takarada wouldn't be pleased," Ren said, gently grasping her wrists and pulling them away from the doors. He noticed that the doors didn't swing back at the retreat of her hands, they instead stood partly open, as a bit of a tease to one's curiosity. She didn't fight back.

He eyed her long hair that he could only describe as auburn and he thought of those nights he had spent tangled in it. He remembered the intensity of her kisses at their first meetings and the taste of them. Strawberry. Minted. He remembered her body, almost exposed to him under her flimsy seductress wear. He thought of the voices she had used on him: tempting and suggestive. He thought of how hard it had been to suppress himself.

"You're right," she said, stepping back from the door, backing up into Ren's chest. The heat from her body quickly burned through his clothes, managing to touch his skin. It was enough to make him sweat. And with her back gently pressed against his chest and his arms around her in a partial hug, they stood. A whirlwind of decidedly dirty thoughts spun in Ren's head. He wanted to pull her into a full blown hug and gently nibble at her neck. He could almost hear the soft, pleading groans she would give out. He could almost feel her body melting and becoming nothing but womanly softness. Oh how he wanted to bury himself in that. So badly.

"It's time to leave," he said, stepping back and removing his hands from her wrists. He could never stop at amazing himself. His self-restraint deserved a trophy. The longer he knew her, the harder it became to keep his hands off her. However, that was exactly what he had been doing. He hadn't missed the intense shift of her personality a few days earlier, neither had he felt the aura that had bloomed around her recently. It was almost as terrifying as Kuon's.

He could not read her in the slightest.

From the very beginning she had hidden her true self from him. He had gotten a peek when she had first taken over his kitchen, but ever since then…she had immersed herself into another persona. Just like him. What other similarities did they share?

What differences did they share?

What did he know about her?

As he walked back to the car, the person of interest walking behind him quietly taking in the scene at the LME office, he began to consider what about her had managed to capture him.

She was mysterious. That was the number one reason. She held a dark secret that she refused to tell him, and it had shaped her in a most interesting way. That silent determination it had fostered, was not as silent as she probably thought it was. The way it had made her retreat and put up a fake mask was worth investigation. Finding out about the man who had done it all, made him want to find said man, and beat him to a centimetre of his life.

Tsuruga Ren could face insults to himself and his acting with a smile.

Tsuruga Ren could deal with being lied to and used as a stepping stone to future popularity for other celebrities.

Tsuruga Ren however, could not keep Kuon locked up any time a man hurt a woman, especially if it was anything physical. That type of man made Ren's blood boil, and made the actor see a shade of red so bloody that it was hard to tell if it belonged to the person who had earned it or if it was just from imagination. That type of man brought up memories of the past that Ren was desperately trying to run from.

His mind brought up that first night he had stumbled upon the seductress behind him. Dressed as Cain Heel, he had found it even harder to suppress Kuon. One minute he saw a man shove a woman with a ripped blouse against the wall, pushing his hand up her skirt. The woman screamed. After that, Ren could only remember glaring down at a motionless body, the face battered beyond recognition. The girl was nowhere to be seen, but her terrified screams lingered in the air. Also in the air were police sirens. If it weren't for them invading his thoughts, he wouldn't have moved from his spot for a long time. He would have been lost to the world.

Just like that first time.

Ren lifted a hand to run it through his hair as he sat in the backseat of the car. Damn it! He could not think of that right now! He could not! Damn that Kuu!

He propped his head up on his right hand, his eyes falling on Kyoko's. She had been staring at him. She quickly averted her eyes, but the look in them had been obvious. They were questioning in a dark way, but behind that questioning darkness had been something else. Something he also wanted. He reached across the space between them, his fingers climbing over hers first before turning her hand over so that he could hold it. For a second he looked at their hands intertwined and thought of all that it represented.

The simple gesture spoke to him about his failure as Katsuki. An action like this was one couples did every day. It was so common and normal, that a bystander wouldn't think much of it. However, it meant so much more. It showed just how comfortable the lovers were, and just how much they wanted to be in contact with the other one, their other half. It was a gesture of love. And love was what he of all things, could not conjure up.

He glanced at Kyoko's face which was turned away from his and thought about her. She was attractive, mysterious and tempting, he could barely keep his hands off her, but…what about her did he like?

The ride to his actual apartment was shorter than usual. Or maybe it seemed that way because no matter how hard he thought, he could not think of one thing he liked more than her body and her cloudy past. Once again, he had made a relationship based on purely shallow observations. He had been through many pretty girls, but they had all left him. Would she be the same? He squeezed her hand, making her look at him right as the car pulled up in front of his apartment.

He hoped not.

"We're home."

XXX XXX

Kyoko walked around the apartment, instantly noticing the difference. It was much bigger and fancier. When she walked into his bedroom and spotted his bed, she almost had a heart attack. It was totally bigger than the one at the previous apartment! She blushed at this thought, but couldn't help admiring the bed.

"Do you like it?" he asked behind her. She jumped slightly and turned to face him. He had obviously made himself at home. He wore his pyjamas. It was a completely different look on him. It almost made Kyoko want to…

"Yes. I do. This bed's possibilities," she started, turning away from Ren to hide her smile, "is endless." She took that moment to compose her face. When she turned back to him, her eyes danced with mischief and her smile was evocative. She bit her bottom lip and lowered herself onto the bed in a sitting position.

The atmosphere around him as Ren was noticeably more relaxing than the atmosphere around him as Cain.

Even from across the room, she could see his eyes smoulder. The strides he took to come right up to her weren't many. He crouched in front of her, not looking her in her eyes. He took her hand into his and held them. She could only watch as they disappeared into his fists.

"You need to decide which face to wear. I would prefer if you wore your real one. Your fake mask is rather ugly," he said, choosing this moment to look into her eyes. Kyoko's eyebrows rose in shock. Had it been that obvious?

"Is that so?" she questioned in reply, forcing an amused look on her face as her fingers reached out and caressed his face.

'How dare he call you out like this?' One of her demons exclaimed.

'And to call it ugly of all things!' Another one yelled.

"Seems you really do need some guidance in this thing called life…child," Ren teased.

"I am no child. I am fully capable of handling anything thrown at me!" She yelled.

"Can you handle me?" He asked, leaning his head closer to hers.

"Better than you can handle yourself," she replied, leaning in to confront him.

"I can see you're teasing me. You have no idea how being this close to me is dangerous to you. Don't you want to preserve what little purity you have?'" He asked.

"Oh, I am a tease, Ren. And also keep in mind that you also have no idea just how deadly I can be," she whispered, leaned in and kissed him chastely on the lips.

Then her brain clicked, and she cursed herself, but he was already kissing her back, and her skin was feeling disturbingly sensitive. She felt his hand on her face, holding her chin gently in place.

He had made her face slip, and she had dropped into the seductress role she was so used to. She hadn't meant to kiss him, she had meant for him to kiss her. It would've made a big difference. It would have shown that she was in charge…and not him.

He pulled away unexpectedly, giving her time to catch her breath.

"You bastard," she growled.

"You seductress," he responded, his voice light with amusement. Was he laughing at her reaction?

"Glad you remember my role," she said, narrowing her eyes, refusing to accept defeat.

"Hmm…Kyoko, remember when you said that I would deserve a prize for bringing you home with me?" He asked. Kyoko blushed.

'Damn it! I have to stall!' She thought.

"I don't think you're ready for it yet," she said, trying to delay him.

"Well, I think I am," he said, eyeing her intently.

"Then I refuse to give it to you. And I'm sure someone of your standing won't try to force me," she said. He wouldn't have her body. She wouldn't allow him.

"I'm not afraid of forcing you, Kyoko. Now, answer me this," he said. Kyoko gulped. She wouldn't go down without a fight. He didn't deserve her body! No man did! As she looked at him in the silence that followed, she realized something. The main reason she didn't want to give her body to this man, was because she was too afraid of liking the result of it. And who knew what would come after that. She would be vulnerable again. She just couldn't deal with that again.

"Never," she said.

"I want to know what's wrong. I want to know who hurt you. This is the prize I want from you Kyoko."

Ok, so this wasn't what she had expected. He wanted information, not sex? It seemed highly unlikely for a man.

"I…I can't tell you that," she replied in her shock.

"Please…I need to know," he said.

"I don't trust you."

"Why don't you trust me?"

"Because if I do. You'll do what Sho did to me."

"Sho? Sho who?"

Kyoko's eyes went wide with terror. She hadn't meant it to come out, it just came out! She wasn't guarding herself! He had managed to break her! She couldn't reveal anything else to him. She shook her head. No. She wouldn't tell him.

"You've got to tell me what he did to you. What did Sho do to you?" Ren asked. His voice was carefully controlled. Kyoko backed away from him, hoping the other end of the bed would be her refuge. Her hand came down on something with a lot of buttons and the TV sprang to life.

"And Fuwa Sho's new song has once again risen to the number one slot! As expected from Japan's number one pop star!" An entertainment journalist said excitedly from the TV. The next shot on the TV was of the one and only Fuwa Sho, waving to his fans. Kyoko felt her body stiffen and for a second she felt fear and pain, and in the next second her demons had risen. The air around her darkened with the evil that was slowly pouring out of her.

"Damn you Shotaro!" She yelled and the TV exploded. Courtesy of her demons.

As she sat on the bed in the aftermath of her careless emotions, she knew that she had given herself away. And she knew without looking, that Tsuruga Ren's eyes were trained on her intensely.

**Ah yes, an unexpected turn, but one I am enjoying none the less. Yay! I hope to upload the other chapter really, really soon!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter:**

**SHINO CHAN! ^_^, GakuenLME, mrs. zala, Perfect Beauty, xXHalfPrinceXx, , luckyschoolgirl, TMNinjaGinga, Lynn Beltran and those 5 anonymous reviwers!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Yes, yes, I am aware of how late this chapter is. I honestly wrote it the same time as the last chapter, but work got in the way . **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat**

_Chapter 13_

"Fuwa Sho," Ren said. He said it slowly, like a child learning something interesting and committing it to memory. He seemed totally serene as he pondered about the name, getting used to it. Kyoko cursed herself. This was cause for seppuku! Her lips trembled slightly as she quickly dropped her head to her chest. The reverberations of her heartbeat created an anxious rhythm in her head as she waited to hear his full response. However, no more words came from the man.

The room began a clichéd example of deafening silence.

The stillness he encouraged was certainly loaded.

The unsaid words buzzed about him like electricity, threatening to shock and immobilize Kyoko.

As the silence went on, she fought the sudden, strange urge to look up at him and witness what emotions he might have displayed across his face. Without fighting the urge, she feverishly lifted her eyes from the smoking TV set to the man crouched at the end of the bed. Except…he was no longer crouched, and his expression was rather different than it had been before.

It was horrifying!

She felt her body involuntarily begin to shake. The expression on Tsuruga Ren's face was that of the devil's. Pure hate and anger. The air around them crackled with lethal intentions. She was shocked, and she was afraid.

'You idiot,' she chastised herself mentally. Part of her game had been to give up as little information about herself as was possible. She wanted to be unknown to him and in that way hopefully keep her sanity and whatever else he wanted to herself. What was she going to do now? Could she continue playing her game? Could she still keep herself a secret?

"What did he do to you?" Ren's voice shattered the silence. Kyoko's lips trembled as she contemplated her answer.

She pressed them together when she decided she wasn't going to tell.

"Kyoko," Ren said her name slowly, threateningly, "what did Fuwa Sho do to you?"

With her lips still pressed together, Kyoko threw him an expression of haughty silence. She was hoping he would give it up and not do what his murderous aura was insinuating.

"Damn it child! What did he do?" This was a yell. The demons of Tsuruga Ren has been unleashed. Kyoko felt fear creep into her facial expression and the shakes into her whole body. It would be impossible to keep up any amount of act with this man and his foreboding terror for much longer. Yet, she decided that she would do just this. She would stand against him…for as long as her feet would allow her to. And so, she did not answer. She tried to press her lips even further together, trying to send the message across that he didn't scare her, trying to call a bluff. She had made a promise of revenge to herself. She had made a promise to never again let any man take advantage of her.

What happened next made her regret not answering when he had first asked.

In a fit of rage, Ren flew across the sheets, coming straight toward her. His attack was swift, and for a second, she saw an embodiment of terror stripped down to its core launching itself right at her. She screamed and in a bout of fright, she fled. Her demons hid themselves. The anger radiating from the man in the room was bouncing off the walls and cornering them. Her ears shut off all sounds, leaving only the pounding of terror in her ears. Her fingers didn't seem to be working. They weren't going fast enough to get her off the bed and away from the creature behind her.

He grabbed her leg in the midst of her escape.

She struggled to free it.

She felt trapped.

When it slipped out of his grasp, she thought it was nothing short of a miracle and another chance at life. With the fear beating so steadily through her body, she tried to crawl the rest of the way off the side of the bed farthest from him. She had to get there. She had to do it right!

In a scramble, she got to the edge of the bed. Hands grabbed her legs and pulled her back. She grabbed at the sheets until he flipped her over. She kicked out with both her captive legs, flinging her arms in all directions, trying to fight him off. She screamed, and she screamed, and she screamed some more. She felt the threat of tears burning beneath her closed eyelids, she felt her hands connect with skin, and then she felt him retreat…but only little.

She was completely horrified! Was he going to beat it out of her? Or had she angered him so much that he was going to do more than slap her around a little? With those thoughts in mind, she fought harder, her fingernails scraping him.

She rolled, and he rolled with her.

They fell off the bed in a tangle of limbs.

The landing was soft, softer than the thin carpet would allow.

She was shivering in fright and then she realized her eyes were closed. She opened them slowly and came face to face with her attacker.

He was underneath her.

She had fallen on him.

He had cushioned her.

And the look he wore was not one of rage. It was one of concern, it was one of beauty. He sat up slowly, the seductress between his legs. His hand crept up to the nape of her neck. She found herself being pulled closer to him, not realizing how for a few seconds. He was being so gentle that she hadn't even realized that he was pulling her toward him. She watched as his eyes closed, as if he was throwing away all the thoughts in the world as he zoned in on her.

His supple lips gently stole hers for a kiss that confused her, but also enchanted her.

He pulled away and gazed into her eyes with so much peace embedded in his, that all her fear disappeared into thin air as if it had never existed in the first place.

"What happened?" He asked again in a voice so sincerely sincere and honest that she succumbed to the burning in her eyes and burst into tears, and the words just came out.

She heard herself when she told him about her childhood with Sho. She mentioned how she had always loved him and had ended up living with him and his parents. She mentioned her mother, the bitch. She told him about how school always was for her, with the girls so jealous that they hid her things, called her names, bullied her. She told him how Sho was the only one she felt she could count on, how one day she wanted him to be her Prince Charming.

She heard herself through her tears telling Ren about Sho asking her to come with him to Tokyo. She spoke about how she felt that she was the only one he asked and how happily she gave up her life for that one man. She spoke about how he left her in the expensive apartment to fend for herself once he got famous, and when she couldn't work enough to pay her rent, Sho didn't offer to help. She spoke about how she overheard Sho telling his manager about how much of a servant she had been to him, how plain and boring she was, how he would never spend the rest of his life with her.

She heard herself talk about being evicted and being so stricken with grief and a broken heart that she could not find the energy or determination to continue. She had been homeless. And as usual, she was alone. She had always been alone. Sho had never been there to help.

She had found comfort in being a seductress.

The tears wouldn't stop. Her tongue wouldn't stop moving. Everything that she had intended to keep a secret came pouring out. She felt pitiful. She hated herself, but she couldn't stop. She had spent so many years trying to bottle it up.

She felt arms around her the whole time. She felt a warmth that could only belong to one person swallow her up. She didn't know how to feel about that. She also didn't know when her tears exhausted her and when she fell asleep.

XXX XXX

Ren was downright pissed!

Kyoko keeping her mouth zipped had angered him, and he had lunged across the bed in a shocking act of rage, so very unlike him. He had lost control for a second there. His anger at his past had flared, and he was going to take it out on Kyoko. He had been so close to becoming the kind of person he hated the most.

While they had wrestled on the bed, he had come to his senses. Being rough with her wasn't going to earn her trust. If anything, it would only drive her away…and that was not what he wanted.

His calmed state thereafter had brought about what he had wanted from her the whole time. And while he had cradled Kyoko in his arms a few hours earlier as she cried, he had felt like crushing Fuwa Sho's neck. The tale she had told him seemed impossible. They had been childhood friends, yet he had abandoned her. It was despicable. It made Ren hate the man, hate him enough to want to find him and pulverize him. If he did manage to kill him in the process, it would be worth it this time, and he would have no regrets. It would be different from the first time.

Fuwa Sho was a dead man walking!

The glass that Ren was holding in his hand shattered and he realized that he needed some self control.

He sighed and leaned back in the couch.

"Are you happy now?" A timid voice spoke from behind him. Ah, so she had woken up.

"How can I be happy after hearing that?" He asked, turning to look at her. She looked horrible. Her eyes were puffy and red, her hair was a mess and her face was tear streaked and agitated, but that didn't stop his heart from skipping a beat.

"You got what you wanted, right? You know me now. Now I ask you, please let me go."

Ren raised an eyebrow at her from his position on the couch.

"No…I won't," he said.

"How can you be so devious? How can you keep me here after hearing that and intend to use me for your own purposes! Why are all men the same? I hate you!" She yelled. She bit down on her lip, looked down and tried to compose her face.

"I won't hurt you, Kyoko." He rose from the couch. She flinched. He didn't blame her. After what that pig had done to her, she had been brave to become a seductress.

"Shut up. I can't trust men," she muttered, looking at her feet.

"You can trust me." He stopped beside her.

"I can't."

"I will never hurt you. I promise," he said, in a tone he wished was convincing enough. She glanced up at him, her bottom lip trembled, and in the next moment she had flung her arms around him. He hugged her back.

This girl was unbelievable.

**So, do you guys think this chapter helped with the plot? It's about time the relationship between Ren and Kyoko changed, don't cha think? *Insert sly smile here* **

**Thanks to those who reviewed!**

**Maria, lucyy.m.c, Michelletsw, sno-zutto, xXHalfPrinceXx, Ghost reader, mrs. zala, cobalt eyes, SkipBeatLover592, Lynn Beltran, Maria, Kim, SnoopyLove, The-lazy-bum, A Midsummer and about 3 other anonymous reviewers! Hope I didn't forget anyone!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Ah! Welcome to yet another chapter of The Seductress! I got quite the feedback on the last chapter. I hope this one does just as well. And I must say I've never gotten so many reviews from anonymous people before! I am rather pleased about that. Please join the site if you aren't a member yet so that communication will be easier and so that you can get all the notifications for updates and also so you'll be able to upload your own fic! :) Also, I am somewhat beta-less, so pardon my messy writing for now. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat**

_Chapter 14_

It was a weird and complicated relationship she had made.

Correction - it was a weird and complicated relationship _they_ had made.

Kyoko lay on her side, staring at the wall in the semi darkness. She had given up on the matter of sleep hours ago and had done her best to not make a show of it. She didn't want to rouse the man lying sleeping beside her so that he could provoke the confusion he brought with him.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that night, she stroked the hand he had so comfortably, almost routinely, draped across her stomach, her fingertips lightly running over the skin, causing him to nuzzle her hair and pull her closer.

She had been pressed against his body all night – her back to his calmly rising and falling chest. He had provided an arm for her to rest her head on so that they could cuddle closer. It was comforting. The warmth that flowed from him to her had kept her company during the lonely night. And that wasn't right. Nothing was right. In a bout of vulnerability unlike any ever experienced, she had spilled all her secrets to this man whose body felt too familiar and acquainted with hers. All she could do now was wait for the time bomb to go off. All she could do now was wait for him to take advantage of her, and to use her. He would surely crush her, just as Sho did, and she only had one way to escape – the commercial.

The commercial was to be shot the next day. Surely, that could be her platform, her staircase to something more. She knew she could ace it…but she was still deathly nervous about it. So nervous that she couldn't even sleep.

She couldn't continue living with him and allowing him to own her. She couldn't live like an animal in a cage, waiting for her death. If she had to, she would even pay twice her price! She would pay back double what he had paid to Ericka. She knew it sounded impossible, but if that was what it came to, if that was her only way out…then she would take it.

Yet, as she rolled herself into a ball, she couldn't shake the feeling of comfort. She felt like she fit here, beside him. She had never broken down like that before. Moko san hadn't even seen her in that state. He had been the first. And instead of standing by and watching her cry, not knowing what to do, he had embraced her and comforted her. He had done it right. No one had ever done it right before. Not her mother. And definitely not Sho. That had been very strange to Kyoko. Had there, all along, existed someone who knew how to make you feel better when you cried, just by hugging you? All those times she had cried, expecting someone to notice her, and to comfort her…no one ever had, so, why him? What was so special about Tsuruga Ren?

She shifted discreetly, turning herself around to face him. He made a little murmur, but did not wake up. She propped herself up on her elbow and studied his face. What kind of man was he really? She lifted her other hand and slowly lowered her fingers to the object under investigation - his face. It was strangely cool amidst the warmth of their bodies. As she clumsily traced the outline of his jaw, she realized how her breath hitched in her throat, as if she was carrying out surgery on someone, and one wrong move would be fatal. She left out a jagged, slow breath, watching his eyelids to see if they would pop open and stare at her at any time. By the time she had gotten brave enough to cup his cheek, she had established a normal breathing pattern…but not a normal beating pattern. Her heart, was all aflutter.

Beneath the coolness of his cheek was an underlying heat, much like the crust of the earth over the core. That was the human body for you. That was Tsuruga Ren.

"Who are you?" She whispered, running her fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. It was soft around her fingers and offered no resistance. She titled her head to the side as she studied his face.

What was stopping her from leaving him right there and escaping?

Could it be that she was afraid of moulding her new life all on her own?

Or could it be that this ill formed connection the two of them shared was keeping her right there, in his arms.

She felt her gaze soften as she took in his face, her fingers lightly brushing against his long, dark lashes, his smooth cheeks and his soft lips. As she brushed her thumb over his lips- an obvious contrast of pink against the gray pillow even in the night - she reluctantly admitted to herself that he looked devilishly angelic being asleep like that. His chest continued to rise and fall rhythmically with his breathing and his hair was splayed across the pillow playfully. His lips were slightly open as if at any moment he would speak. In her mind, this was exactly what a prince should look like.

'A prince?' Kyoko thought as she stopped breathing, as if the lack of properly circulating oxygen could reverse time and stop the thought from ever entering her mind. And suddenly, she was a child again and everything was less complicated, and she believed in fairies and Prince Charming…a Prince Charming whose face now looked like the sleeping man's.

"What's so special about you?" She whispered, mentally shaking her head to dispel the image and the thought.

Her thumb stopped caressing his bottom lip as she leaned in closer to him, her heart pounding against her chest. She felt his soft exhale against her closed eyelids. She had a vague idea about why she was doing this – leaning in to steal a kiss from him. A kiss was all it took to awaken the princess from her dead sleep. A kiss was all it took to turn a frog back into a handsome prince. A kiss was all it ever took in fairy tales to make things right again.

As her lips covered his, she knew she was exposing herself. He had stripped her to her core recently and had her parade in front of him – naked, and she didn't know how to build back up the walls he had ploughed through. Right now, she was at her truest. For the first time in years, she felt fully like Kyoko – fairyland dweller and abandoned childhood friend. Her lips trembled against his.

To say she was shocked when he kissed back would be an understatement. Her kiss had been hopeful but unsure and experimental. His return kiss was slow with suppressed passion. She could feel his desire for her. She could tell he was holding it back.

"I don't know…you tell me," he whispered to her when Kyoko pulled back in surprise and assumed a sitting position.

"You…you…you're awake?" She asked, breathlessly. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She had thought she could have caught him off guard, without him ever knowing, but he had caught her red handed, he had caught her wilfully kissing him. And nothing had changed. She was still her. And he was still him. Silly of her to believe that a kiss could put her at ease and fix her world again.

"I haven't been asleep for a few hours, and I'm guessing it's the same for you," he murmured, his voice deep with sleep even though he had proclaimed he hadn't been asleep for hours. Kyoko wanted to slap herself for finding it irresistibly sexy.

"That's impossible. You didn't even stir," she retorted, an edge of defiance working its way into her voice.

"I'm an actor. Faking sleep isn't much of a challenge." And with those words, he too sat up, his hair falling messily onto his face. Without thinking Kyoko stretched her hand forward to pull it back and out of his eyes. She realized the hidden meaning of her action when she had already carried it out. She froze, her hand still in Ren's hair.

"What's the problem?" He asked, his voice still rough, but lined with sincerity.

"Nothing," she said, her answer floating on an exhale. Running your finger through someone's hair was a sign indeed.

Her hand dropped from his head, joining the other one in her lap. She looked down at her lap, chewing her bottom lip, trying to once again assess the situation. This was why she hadn't wanted him to be awake. Him looking at her like that made her think too much about defining their relationship. They weren't friends. They weren't lovers. They weren't even master and servant. She didn't know what they were.

She felt lips on her cheek that snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up. He was smiling at her, not the gentlemanly smile with which he hid his displeasure, but a truly beautiful smile that made him seem as if he was truly happy.

"I may be thinking about taking your clothes off right now." It was a perverted follow up to his delighted smile that somehow didn't mesh together. Kyoko's face contorted into a red heap of surprise, shock and disbelief. She had to steady herself least she did a faceplant, which she presumed would look rather dramatic, even if it was on a bed.

"Pervert!" She yelled, throwing the sheets around her over his face. He burst into a round of laughter, the sheets sliding off and to his lap. Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows.

"Your face…your face is absolutely beautiful," he said, his laughter dying down.

"Men don't normally laugh at beautiful faces," she retorted, fighting a greater degree of blushing which his words were encouraging.

"Because beautiful faces don't normally make those expressions," he said, his previous laughter dissipating to an amused smile.

"You are still a pervert," she mumbled. His only response was a chuckle. The room fell into a comfortable silence.

XXX XXX

"How are you feeling about the commercial tomorrow?" He asked. His voice pierced the silence, yet complemented it. Kyoko looked up from the random spot of the bed that she had fixed her embarrassed gaze.

"I umm…I…its fine," she said, managing a smile.

"You really shouldn't lie. You are surprisingly bad at it when you're like this," he said. Kyoko's lips protruded into a slight pout, her eyebrows furrowing some more.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"That's ok. I just want to know if you're ready for it."

"I think I am…" she trailed off, her eyes trailing off too.

"That's not much…" Tsuruga started. He was cut off.

"But I've never done a commercial before in my entire life! I've never stood in front of a camera! This is all so new to me!" She suddenly yelled, eyes now wide with her concern and staring right at him. Now, that reaction he hadn't expected. Obviously the differences between her many personas were rather extreme. The seductress Kyoko would never look up at him with such big, expectant eyes. It was almost as if…almost as if…

"Kyoko…do you trust me?" He asked. Her expectant face fell and the space between them widened as she pulled back. She was putting distance between them. She remained silent for a while, pondering her answer.

"I have no choice but to," she said, then offered him a painful smile. This defeated attitude, was not fitting to her any at all.

"You will learn to. I will teach you how," he said, his eyes falling to his fingers that were now drawing circles on the back of Kyoko's hand.

"As I said…I have no choice," she said, pulling her hand slowly out from under Ren's.

"This attitude…this attitude of defeat, doesn't suit you one bit," he said.

"Who said I was defeated?" She asked, a challenge issued in her voice. The corner of Ren's mouth drew up into a ghost of a smile. Was that really all it took? Was she naturally this easily encouraged?

"Now…that's the Kyoko I like…this is the Kyoko I like a lot," he said, his voice tapering down to a low, deep tone. He reached out to her, her cheek fitting perfectly into his palm. This action sent the sparks that he felt on his fingertips, straight to his stomach. Except, in his stomach, the sparks had exploded and thus revealed what they had originally been carrying – the feeling of a million alien creatures battling for space within his stomach. He knew instantly what this feeling was and what they called it, but that didn't make him any less shocked. For the first time in his 21 years on Earth - Tsuruga Ren and Hizuri Kuon – felt butterflies in his stomach.

And they were madly flapping their wings.

And they seemed as if they had no intention of stopping any time soon.

And having Kyoko lean toward that palm and look right into his eyes, was just too satisfying. He had never had a moment such as this where such an innocent touch could sate his desire.

"Keep up that determination, and I guarantee you that you'll do well," he said. And as they looked at each other, Kyoko's eyes never wavered once.

**Bad news everyone. This may be my last chapter till December. School is about to start up and year 2 is looking to be a bit too much to handle. While I'm not pleased that I haven't finished this, I am somewhat pleased that I at least on average released a little more than a chapter per month while on holiday. That was my one time updating record. I love this story a lot and have all intentions of finishing it one day. That day may be very far in the future. I will try to release at least one more chapter before I fall off the face of the Earth, but I can't promise you that. I have plans for another Skip Beat fanfic that will be more fun for me to write. Hopefully it'll be super easy and hopefully I'll be able to put it out in a few months. Thanks for reading and reviewing you guys! Don't give up on me yet!**

**Thanks to those who reviewed:**

**DarkLady, asian-kayse, xXHalfPrinceXx, AnimeDangel, Chellets, Firnlambe, The-lazy-bum, skipbeatlover592, Perfect Beauty, lucyy.m.c, , A Midsummer (you def need an account!), SnoopyLove, Lady of the Hunt and about 4 anonymous readers. Whoo hoo!**


	16. Chapter 15

**I know I'm being a bit hard on myself, but reading those reviews…I don't feel like I've deserved them. I've done a lot of slacking off and because of that my fic has gone in a way I didn't really intend for it to go, but is ok none-the-less. I'm really, really, SUPER happy for and appreciative of those who have reviewed. I totally accept flames and criticism, don't forget that. You guys can help me to become a much better author that way. With that said, I'm back guys! Whooo~! For now anyway. I'm going to try my very best to update often during the break seeing as when school starts back up I'll more than likely fall off the planet…again. *Sweatdrop* Hope you enjoy this chapter and sorry for the long A/N. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Alas, I owneth not Skip Beat****. *Insert dramatic faint here***

_Chapter 15_

Ren was having a hard time not looking at Kyoko. No, she didn't have a new hairstyle. Neither did she have on any type of clothing he had never seen her in before. There was, in fact, absolutely nothing new about her that morning…however it seemed _to him_ that everything was new about her. Her long legs, her luscious brightly coloured hair that was darker at the root, her slender body…he couldn't stop going over them all with his eyes…and with his mind.

Ren relaxed in the couch, crossed his legs and thanked the stars that Kyoko was too busy getting ready to notice him staring at her. He imagined he probably looked like a hungry wolf, ready to devour her. Truth was, he wasn't far from that. He was just the kind of wolf who waited for the right signs.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping that his physical actions would change his mental pathway, throw him off a little. How was it that after spending so little time with this girl, all he could do was lust after her? Well…for sure he found her utterly attractive. That was probably why. Though he noticed that there was nothing voluptuous about her, with her being tiny in the chest area and having the slightest little curves to her hips, somehow, her delicate body was still womanly and called out to him just as strongly as the others he had already known. She was very different from the women he had come across.

But…he knew that it wasn't just how she looked that had him hooked, he also lusted after her mind. He wanted so badly to know what she was thinking, who she was thinking about and why she was thinking it. He wanted to know what made her so brave, even though the world was fighting against her, even though the one person she had loved had never loved her back.

Tsuruga Ren was particularly pissed about this. It was hard not to think of it. It was also hard not to grip whatever he was holding while he thought about it so tightly that it threatened to break. He didn't take kindly to negative actions against women, especially women he cared about. Those who hurt women he cared about would get beaten to a pulp. This had caused him great trouble in the past…

Trouble that in the end had proved worthless.

Trouble that had sent him to Japan, never to return home.

Not that he wished to return home.

He sighed and his shoulders slumped, not something he did in public, only in the privacy of his home. The public could never be allowed to know Hizuri Kuon. The public could never be allowed to know his violent nature. Could a star who had almost killed his father for his mother's sake be accepted in Japan? He highly doubted it.

"Ren?" It was Kyoko, standing in front of him, looking absolutely delicious. He realized that his mind had been scrambling all over the place then, and that she had noticed before him.

"Are you on planet Earth now, because I'm ready to go," she stated, her voice just a tad short of haughty. Ren didn't even notice her tone as he stood up, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"You look very lovely this morning," he complimented her.

"Thank you," she replied, her voice covered in a thin layer of ice, her eyes slightly narrowed. She sure as hell had her game face on! The temptation to kiss her was overwhelming.

He took her left hand in his and brought it up to his lips instead of bringing her lips to his. Conquering his beast was a must for this girl. Showing her that he wanted her physically wouldn't cut it. He wanted more…more than he usually got, and she seemed like the right person to get it from.

"Today shall be a great day," she said, her haughty face falling a bit as she smiled almost genuinely and raised a brow at him.

"Then let's go."

XXX XXX

As Ren searched for his car keys, Kyoko tried to steady her quaking nerves. This was it. Today was her turning point. Today would be the day that would catapult her to a place she had only dreamed of. She was going to make something of herself today. She would be able to finally leave her past behind…

Shotaro.

She would never be able to leave her past behind. Not while he was still alive. Just knowing he existed reminded Kyoko of the failures of her life. Knowing he was alive had made Kyoko feel as if there was no hope. That was until she had made her decision. The days that passed since she had made her decision to take revenge on Sho had not passed uneventfully. Each day another hole appeared in her master plan. Every day, her plan seemed farther and farther out of reach. And she blamed Ren for that. She had found herself thinking more about Ren than about Sho these days. Maybe it was because time with Ren wasn't as full of painful memories as her time with Sho had been.

Feeling the pain from the scars Sho had left were too burdensome, they were too painful to dwell on.

Her mind wandered to the night before. Ren was becoming stranger and stranger. When they had just met, his hands were always on her, his lips were always searching for a place to bring pleasure to. Last night, he had chastely kissed her, and when they had settled back down to sleep, he had only cuddled with her. His hands never wandered disrespectfully and disappointingly his lips remained far from her body. She felt guilty admitting this, but, she had wanted him to kiss her last night, kiss her with that passion she knew he was hiding.

It was confusing with Ren. What she wanted from him was what she shouldn't want from him. What she had given him was what she should have kept hidden from him. She no longer felt it necessary to use him…actually, she felt that it would be impossible to not work with him, and this caused warning signs to go off in her head.

She brought her hand up to her chest, to rest over her heart.

Her heart was the most fragile piece of her. The tiny pieces it had shattered into the last time still had not pieced themselves together. She was convinced that it would take a lot of time and the deliverance of a devastating blow on Sho to bring her heart back to even a semblance of what it used to be. She had been filled with so much love, and Sho had taken advantage of her. She would never forgive him. And she could never allow herself to love again. She would have to remember that. Ren…could be nothing more than a distraction.

'You are a distraction,' she thought as she turned to look at him. Their eyes met and Kyoko's heart skipped a beat before it began racing.

'Just a distraction. Tsuruga Ren is _JUST_ a distraction!'

XXX XXX

Kanae could not be any more excited! She had really impressed the president of LME a few days before and he had immediately given her a chance. She was going to film a commercial today! It was unbelievable! 2 weeks ago she had been a seductress, afraid of leaving what she had grown to know, afraid of the outside world that had been so cruel to her, but determined to find her best friend.

She had had no luck in finding Kyoko, though she had spent a good number of days wandering about, asking people and just looking, hoping that Kyoko would be casually strolling in the same place Kanae was and at the same time. Even before she wished for it, Kanae knew that coincidences like that were impossible. Kyoko would not simply walk into Kanae's hands. Kanae would have to go looking for her. And while looking for her, Kanae would most definitely find her.

"Okay, Kotonami san, we're all finished with your make-up," the make-up artist said as she pulled the towel from around Kanae's neck.

"Oh," Kanae responded unintelligently as she forced her thoughts back to the commercial.

"Thank you," Kanae said. The make-up artist was beaming with pride at her handiwork as Kanae turned to look in the mirror. Her face was absolutely perfect. It was unbelievable what proper make-up could do.

"All in a day's work," the girl answered, putting down her equipment.

"Um…excuse me, but…do you by chance happen to know about this other girl that I should be acting with?" Kanae asked, her voice sounding very unfamiliar. Why had it come out like that? Kanae wasn't a coward! She wasn't even known for being a nice person. Why had her sentence come out so timid?

'Gain control of yourself Kanae!' She yelled mentally.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know anything about that. You'd have to ask the director," the girl responded. Kanae nodded in appreciation of her answer. It was killing her – this person she was to be working with. Just who was this girl? And was she so important that no one dared to call her name? Or maybe she was just so unimportant that no one knew her name. Just like Kanae. But that would soon change.

She stood up from the chair and moved away from the brightly lit mirrors. She gazed down at her outfit, a school uniform, as she stepped out of the make-up truck. She smoothed over her blouse, adjusted the skirt and walked right into someone. She stumbled backwards, her eyes moving upwards to look at the wall she had just run into as said wall gasped. Then everything started moving in slow motion, and scenes from Kanae's past flashed through her mind.

When he had walked into her stall.

When he had first kissed her in that comfortably confusing moment.

When they had first made love.

Eyes blinked unbelievingly from behind glasses. They were wide with shock, disbelief and of course…guilt. She suddenly wished she was back at the shop, sitting on that low wall she loved so much, knowing that she was tucked away from the real dangers of the world.

Kanae felt her insides being rearranged as she stumbled to a firm stop. She felt as if she would throw up. Her knees were weak. She had always thought of this moment, and had never come to a conclusion. Now that she was in it…her mind was blank. Absolutely blank. There was only one word that it would allow her to utter.

"Yashiro," she exhaled.

"Kanae," he answered, his voice trembling along with the rest of his body. Kanae felt herself being pulled inward, into a protective stance as she crossed her arms under her chest, grabbing her upper arms to steady herself. She glanced at him sideways, afraid to face him head on. His eyes were planted on the ground, his hands stuffed in his pocket.

The remnants of the utterance of their names quickly dispersed into the tension between them, leaving the space deafeningly quiet and dangerously volatile.

The man standing in front of her was one of the few people who were always on Kanae's mind…even though he had abandoned her. And because she couldn't help thinking about him so often, she had come up with a dozen and more explanations for herself as for why he had never come back.

Maybe he had died.

Maybe he was really busy.

Maybe he was so busy that he had forgotten her.

Maybe she had really meant nothing to him.

Maybe she was just a conquest for him.

Maybe he had had enough of her, the whore.

Maybe he had found someone else.

Not one of her thoughts had been comforting, but all of them seemed possible. She had often chastised herself in the few months after his last visit, she would tell herself that she was being silly, that he really loved her and that she was just imagining things.

She had gotten so used to him being with her, that she had been surprised she had survived without him for the first week.

That first week slowly turned into a month.

A month turned into 6 months.

6 months turned into a year…

And she was still living…but barely.

And she was really beginning to believe her 'maybes'.

And she could feel that hole of depression waiting to gobble her up completely. If it wasn't for a certain good friend, she would have been gone mentally…emotionally.

It had been her own hell, and she had wondered what she would do when she met the maker of her hell again. Would she punish him and make him feel her pain tenfold? Or would she chicken out, and let him walk all over her again?

"Kanae…I'm sorry."

His words had sliced the volatile air around them, the pieces shattering to the ground along with her will to punish him.

As hands encircled her, she realized something. She realized that this man made her weak.

**Oh kay, so the Yashiro and Kanae part didn't exactly play out as how I wish it could have, but I think its ok regardless. What do you guys think?**

**Soooo…I'm so gonna get upset readers because I made Kuu a bad guy . but hey, it was worth it for the story! Life isn't sugar coated you know. :D Rather enjoyed writing this chapter. Looking forward to making more updates in January! **

**Thanks to those who reviewed:**

**Stormyspiritstar, torpidxXR.E. , Phanton Actress, sno-zutto, DangerFiction, AnimeDAngel, ViperineVampire, skipbeatlover592, The-lazy-bum, lucyy.m.c, mrs. Zala, xXHalfPrinceXx, MysticMaiden 18 and the 4 anonymous reviewers! I finally updated!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Ah, has it been seven months already, heh heh heh, would you look at that *insert nervous laughter here* Ah, well…I'm back (for now), and I believe I should explain to you all why I've been absent for so long. I know you all are looking forward to reading what's gonna happen next and I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update. Anywho, to not make this A/N epicly long, just head to my profile to find out my reasons and thoughts and even how far along I am with my chapters :D. And with that said, here goes chapter 16!**

**Disclaimer: Ownership of Skip Beat has not yet fallen into my hands, not yet I tell you! Muahahaha…*wheezes* Danggit! -_- I need practice!**

_Chapter 16_

"We're here," Ren announced as he pulled into a parking space. He glanced to the side, his eyes falling on a rather nervous and spaced out Kyoko. She was a completely different person from the one who had gotten into the car with him a few minutes before. She was staring straight ahead, her hands clenched tightly around her seatbelt. Ren pressed lightly on the middle of his steering wheel, igniting a _honk _that reached the ears of Kyoko and jolted her from her stupor.

"Um, what?" She sprung to life, her head spinning around, her eyes trying to catch up with the time she had lost being submerged in her own world.

"I said…we're here," Ren repeated as he subdued a smile. Though he rather liked the Kyoko that was all fired up with determination, he was beginning to find an uncertain Kyoko a bit cute.

"Oh," she uttered. Her eyes made contact with his and she quickly turned away, but not before a mysterious blush spread across her face. Ren felt his stomach tighten as the possible reasons for her blush rushed into his mind. Had she been thinking about him?

"Just how caught up in your own world were you?" He asked as he switched off the engine. He turned to look at her, but she was still staring out the window, away from him.

"I wasn't caught up in anything," she quickly retorted, flashing her hair over her shoulder, regaining some of her composure. This time, instead of a strawberry-like scent floating through the air, he smelt his own body wash. He would have to fix that after the commercial shoot.

"Good, because by the time we're out of this car, I expect to find the person who got into my car this morning to be walking beside me," he said, throwing her back the serious face. She immediately huffed, her body turning around to face his.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she started, her tone and face completely serious as their eyes met for the second time.

"I never left." And in a flash the passenger side door was being slammed shut and she was outside. Ren allowed himself a moment of amusement before exiting the car himself.

"It's good that you can be like this," he said to her as he leaned on the roof of the car. Her only response was turning slightly so that she could eye him through her peripheral vision, her hair parting to expose a bit of her neck. Ren suddenly felt the urge to nip the slightly visible flesh and leave a love mark for the entire world to see. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't mind leaving those marks in places no one could see or dare to look as well…

"Let's go before you end up being late," he spoke up, cutting off his thoughts before they led to more dangerous ones. He turned and walked away, not particularly caring if he was going in the right direction or not. He seriously needed to clear his head.

He heard footsteps behind him, but was afraid to look behind lest his previous thoughts turned physical. It didn't take long for the footsteps behind him to fall silent, and immediately he understood why. She was just taking out some time to collect her thoughts, lead them away from negativity. At that moment, he imagined that her mind was conjuring up a million and one ways that she could fail. It was a thought that was impossible to avoid after all. And while he knew that there was nothing he could say to get rid of that feeling, he strongly believed that she would overcome it herself. He had not a doubt in his mind about how the commercial would turn out.

He took a deep breath, let it out and allowed his eyes to roam the area in front of it. The serenity of

the atmosphere struck him immediately as odd. It was his experience that wherever celebrities were, so were the paparazzi and the fan girls/boys. He was surprised because it seemed that for once, there were no flashing cameras and people throwing questions his way. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any paparazzi for quite a long time. Had his lucked increased with the arrival of Kyoko in his life?

He picked up the sound of footsteps behind him again as they petered off from a run to a walk and he couldn't hide the slight, proud smile that touched his lips. Today would be a good day. He strolled off the path and onto some grass, all footsteps silenced by the soft slice of nature. He continued walking, going up the small mound and spotting a trailer that had been slightly hidden on top of it. Upon reaching the top, he spotted some of the staff that seemed to have just arrived as they were still fixing up and testing their equipment. Strangely, while everyone was running around, setting things up, there was the lone figure of a woman crouched in front of the trailer, her arms hugging her knees, her eyes holding a very far away.

"Excuse me, is…" he started, but was interrupted by the owner of the footsteps bumping into him and letting out a loud gasp.

"It can't be! This…this…this isn't true!" Kyoko exclaimed. Confusion and curiousity immediately came alive in Ren. The strange girl's head turned slowly to look at who had interrupted her peace, her eyes immediately bulging, her body frozen solid.

"Ky…Ky…Kyoko?" The girl stuttered. Now this was unexpected. Ren could feel the shock creeping onto his face.

"Moko san!" Kyoko exclaimed as she tackled the girl. The both of them fell to the ground in a tangle to hugging limbs. A light bulb went off in Ren's head at the mention of the name. That night, when she had told him all about Sho, she had also told him of a friend, her very best friend.

"Ah mo! Why are you attacking me so suddenly here? It's embarrassing!" the girl muttered.

"I don't care! What..what are you doing here? I can't believe it, you're here! But why, why are you here?" Kyoko exclaimed as she tripped over her words.

"I should be asking you the same…question…" the girl identified as Moko san stated, her voice trailing off as her eyes fell on Ren. By the way they widened and hurriedly looked away, he could tell that she knew who he was.

"And what's with _this guy_?" She asked, her voice lower this time. And from her question he could tell that she wasn't another major fan of his, in fact, it seemed that she wasn't a fan of his even in the slightest. This irked him for a reason he could not put his finger on.

"Ah, well, you see. He is Tsuruga Ren, and…and…and he happened to uh…uh…purchase…no…buy…no…yea, um…he was the one who got me away from Erika," Kyoko replied in a long line of stuttering. Ren internally sighed as he saw her look over her shoulder at him. Even with her face partially hidden, he knew that she was blushing. Her friend was also staring at him, her embarrassment at being caught the first time completely gone. It was a strong look of hatred and suspicion. He was surprisingly slightly pissed off with her expression and as such decided to leave the reunion between the best friends to the best friends.

"Ah, it seems Kyoko chan has found a friend. That makes me feel at ease leaving you here. I have a small meeting close by. It'll be over long before your commercial is finished Kyoko chan, so I'll be coming back for you and then we can go home," he said, flashing a bright smile. He nodded to both of them, signaling his goodbye, before turning away and leaving.

Ren mentally face planted. What the hell was that? Had he just called her Kyoko chan? Why had he felt the sudden urge to claim Kyoko? He took a quick breath in, letting it out a second later. Maybe he had gone a bit too far with bringing across the message. He glanced over his shoulder at the pair who had wasted no time in striking up an animated conversation. There was an unexplained dislike growing quickly for this friend of hers.

XXX XXX

"Damn famous people, I can't stand them," Kanae growled as she watched Ren walk away.

"What are you talking about?" Kyoko asked, her blood pumping in her ears, her cheeks red from both embarrassment procured by Ren and the excitement at seeing Kanae again. Her fingers were trembling oh so slightly and tears were prickling her eyes. She had really missed her best friend and finding her like this, as if she had been waiting for her made it seem as if they hadn't been separated at all.

"You admire famous people."

"Not this one. What did he do to you Kyoko? You don't have to live with him anymore, you can come with me." Kanae grabbed Kyoko's hands firmly, pulling her forward.

"Actually Moko san…" her voice trailed off. An entire different feeling descended on Kyoko. Why had Moko san's words caused panic to enter her heart? Had she just mentally panicked about living with Moko san? In other words, not living with Ren? No, no, no, no…this wasn't panic, this wasn't worry, no, she needed Ren, she needed Ren for a specific purpose. Before the name of her specific purpose could even surface consciously, Kyoko felt her demons surge forward, and she suddenly made a loud outburst.

"I've decided to take revenge against Sho!" Her words were firm and her eyes were grounded as she tried to use them to convey her resolution to her friend. Even though her anger had been ignited just by thinking his name, and though her revenge was one of the things she wanted to share the most with Moko san, deep down, there was relief - relief that she had temporarily diverted the conversation away from Ren.

"Eh?" Moko san exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. Kyoko fully expected this response. She had spent a long and hard time confiding in Moko san all of her feelings about the dog, but she had never overcome them, she had never gathered the courage to say words such as these, because until recently, she didn't have that courage. She had thought that she would forever be at his mercy, forever be the one suffering while he reaped the benefits. She had always been the unlucky one where Sho had been involved, and she had thought that it would forever be that way.

"I'm done with suffering…I'm going to make him regret his life, regret that he ever tossed me out. I refuse to let him get away!" Kyoko exclaimed, the emotion catching in the back of her throat. Her hate for him was too vast, too necessary, too impossible to ignore. Kanae sighed, her complicated expression fading into a more relaxed one.

"Kyoko…I think you should forget him."

"What?" The air around her suddenly became heavy and a hard rock settled in her throat. Had she really heard right? Had the person who knew her feelings the most just told her to forget about them? Of all persons, Moko san was the one who should be supporting her 100%! After what Yashiro did to her, she of all persons could understand being betrayed! She should also want revenge, not peace! What satisfaction could peace bring? How would that make up for the past? How would that even out all the wrong they had suffered? How would peace dry the tears they still cried?

"I think you should…"

"I don't want to…it won't be fair," Kyoko mumbled, looking away. How could peace fix her heart? How could peace make her contented? How could peace, put her in peace? It was simply impossible, wasn't it? Forgiveness, forgetting about it…it couldn't be done, right? Not after everything. No, definitely not after everything.

"Sometimes a grudge isn't worth carrying, it only weighs you down."

"You know, those are the last words I thought I'd ever hear you say."

"That's because I've realized something recently…I've realized that I want to be free of everything. I'd rather forget it."

"Well, I can't forget it. And neither can Ren." Kyoko's words caused Kanae's expression to return to one of seriousness.

"Just what is going on with you two?" She asked.

"He's helping me Moko san, he's helping me trample Sho by doing it at his own level. This commercial is just my first step into show business. After this, when Sho sees me, he'll regret leaving me behind, because I will stomp on him. I'll make him eat my leftover popularity! I am going to hit him where it hurts the most! Right in his damn pride!" Kyoko gritted her teeth and Kanae fell silent for a moment.

"On second thought…I really like our idea of crushing him," she said. She smiled slightly and Kyoko immediately felt better about her decision. It was always better when your best friend supported you.

"You know Moko san…you're acting a little strange…"

"Mo! You're the one acting strange! Saying that you want to stay with that man instead of me," Kanae huffed.

"I never said that!"

"I heard it in your unspoken words! Go ahead, take your revenge, I don't care."

Kyoko smiled.

"Thanks Moko san."

XXX XXX

"Ok ladies, let's begi…whoa! Why are you dirty? And why are you not dressed as yet? Quickly, quickly, makeup!" A staff member yelled as he happened upon the two women.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Kyoko began to apologize, quickly getting to her feet. Kanae did the same. If the both of them blew it today, then their real debut into show business could very well stop there. Kanae glanced over at Kyoko. There were many things left to discuss, but now definitely was not the time. Definitely not the time.

Her mind drifted back to her meeting with Yashiro earlier. He had promised to come back for her after the filming had wrapped up. She had no idea what he wanted to say or even where he wanted to go to say these things and frankly she didn't care, she was just insanely happy that she had met him again. But, with that happiness came a different form of her pain. Was it ok to simply let him off so easy? Shouldn't she want revenge as well, just as Kyoko? Didn't she want him to suffer as much as she did?

No.

No, she didn't want any of those things.

For the past year, her feelings had been hanging in the balance, her mind and heart uncertain of the appropriate response to such a betrayal. Having met him again however, it immediately became clear what she should do, what she should feel. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly! And seeing him made her realize that she was willing to forgive him of everything just so they could be together again. But that made her feel foolish. In this world, was it right to let anyone have that control? Wasn't it more appropriate to let him suffer?

But she didn't want that.

She wanted him, she needed him, she loved him.

Was she stupid for that, for loving him so much? Were her actions right?

No answer came, she was once again stuck in the dark. It seemed that whenever the topic of Yashiro came up…she had no idea whatsoever about what to do.

"Come to think of it…you never said why you're here," Kyoko said, pulling Kanae out of her thoughts.

"I'm here to film the commercial, just like you," she responded. And with those words it really hit home. They were filming the commercial…together! This was the other girl she was to work with! Kanae burst into a fit of laughter. After a moment of staring at Moko san with a look of puzzlement on her face, Kyoko too joined in the laughter.

"I don't think we were ever meant to be apart," Kyoko said, throwing her arms around her friend.

"Mmmhhm," came a rather pleased answer.

**Correction, it's been 3 years, not just seven months. I've kept you all waiting for 3 years! What kind of author am I? I feel horrible. Sumimasen everyone! I shall begin to make it up right now! :) I felt really weird writing this chapter, especially the last part with Kanae's POV, so I'm here hoping it was satisfactory and somehow meshes with both the canon characters and the characters I've created.**

**And I won't forget to thank those who reviewed! I'm surprised people still review though considering how horrible I've been with updating *sweatdrop*:**

**DangerFiction, Icy-Kitty117, OPFAN, EmeraldHeart12, GreenSleeves27, cece4japan, haojie1992, Dandy Mandy, Perfect Beauty, GinGitsuneIX, lucyy.m.c, blackrosethorns13, The-lazy-bum, mrs. Zala and my two anonymous reviewers!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! As of now I'll try to update for the both weekends left until September! Please check out my profile page if you are interested in my progress on the chapters and if you also want to know why I did not update for 7 months. I don't want to say this too much to make it seem as if I'm advertising something, but I really want you all to know what's going on. If the update in my profile is not substantial, then please PM me with your comments and questions. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat**

_Chapter 17_

"Cut!" The director yelled. Kyoko immediately doubled over, a strange tiredness taking over her body as she breathed heavily. She had just spent hours, running around the park with Moko san, tossing flowers on her, doing some light wrestling and playing minor pranks. While it had left Kyoko breathless, it had also left her with a strange tingling sensation under her skin that she wasn't quite familiar with but immediately liked.

"So…so…tired. How long have we been doing this natural acting now?" Moko san asked, her face buried in the grass a few yards away from Kyoko. Kyoko smiled.

"But wasn't it fun?" She asked, her smile changing into a grin. Honestly, she wished she could go on. It had been fun, and it had been a while since she had had fun, a few years if she recalled.

"Well…you do have a point there." Moko san rolled onto her back, looking up at the clouds.

"I wouldn't mind doing it all over again," Kyoko said, following her friend's action, the clouds almost immediately mystifying her.

"When did you get so spirited?"

"Wasn't I always?"

"Wonderful work girls! And it's only been three hours!" The director's voice boomed. Kyoko heard cheers from the staff follow his voice and a surge of happy exploded in her.

"3 hours? I feel like I've been here a lifetime, mo," Moko san grumbled as she rolled over again, this time so as to stand on her feet.

"Hey…Moko san…" Kyoko called out, her mood turning sombre. Had she really spent the last few years locked up in a shop, entertaining men like a modern geisha? Had she really missed all the joys of the outside world? Her heart contracted painfully and she recalled the days of her youth spent by a little stream hidden from all prying eyes. She had often gone there to live out her dreams, and to also mourn them. She had been alone, but she had been happy. After those days, a darkness had descended on her life, a darkness that she had not been able to shrug off since.

"Yea?"

There was a slight pause.

"I wish my life had been like this always," Kyoko said, her voice cracking unintentionally.

"Don't we all…but it wasn't…" Came the reply.

Kyoko bit her lip as internally she willed her sorrow to change to anger.

XXX XXX

Kanae tried to ignore the shivers running down her spine one by one. The mood had become heavy with Kyoko's unspoken words. She rubbed her arm, feeling goosebumps and her hair standing on end. She had felt Kyoko's anger and sorrow before, but never like this. This was almost scary.

"That was quite an amazing performance ladies, and in record time I should add," a voice she had heard earlier said from close by. She turned around to see, with distaste, that the voice belonged to Tsuruga Ren. She was in the process of narrowing her eyes at him when Yashiro popped out from behind him, stripping his hands of his gloves with 100% of his attention. Kanae looked away suddenly, not knowing what else to do.

"Oh…hey," came Kyoko's answer. Her voice sounded far away. Kanae's eyes caught the feet of Tsuruga Ren as he walked past her and crouched beside Kyoko.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, his voice soft. Kanae's resolve to hate him rattled.

"No! Moko san!" Kyoko shouted, sitting up immediately. Kanae's head shot up to look at the person who had called out her name. Their eyes met. A hand touched her shoulder at the same time and her insides churned instantaneously.

"I think you two may have to continue catching up another time."

XXX XXX

Kyoko's eyes were glued to the passing scenery, but her mind was elsewhere. Yashiro and Moko san had gone off together. Kyoko had no idea where, but she was pissed off about it. She simply couldn't understand why Moko san was interested in whatever he had to say. How could you disappear for months without an explanation and then make a sudden reappearance and everything was all right again? Had Moko san really forgiven him? Was that why she had said what she had said earlier? What had led her to that realization? Why was she treating him as if he had done nothing wrong? Why wasn't she repaying him? How…how had she forgotten all her pain?

She felt a hand on her fist and she jumped, turning to look who had touched her. Of course, it was Ren, after all, they were the only ones in the vehicle. He ran his hand over her fist before he gently pried them open. She watched as he looped his fingers in hers and brought her hand to his lips, gently kissing it.

"Let's go outside, I've got something I want to show you," he said.

"Outside…?" It was then that Kyoko realized that not only had the car stopped moving, but outside had gotten darker. Just how long had they been driving…and where the hell were they? She stepped out of the car and immediately her breath was stolen from her. It was a scene straight from her childhood, from her happy days. She was sent reeling back through her memories.

Much like back in Kyoto, there was a stream, with smooth rocks and boulders littered along the bed which caused the water to rush over and around them in nature's natural acrobatic performance. The trees stood a little way back from the stream, the illusion of them growing thicker and closer together being given off. Her throat tightened at the sight.

"How…how…how did you know?" She managed to squeak out.

"Know what?" He asked immediately, walking around the hood of the car to stand next to her.

"Just…this…" she said, her hands flashing out, indicating the whole area. She was caught between rejoicing and crying. It was beautiful, but also sad. Regret washed her and her vision blurred. She should be thankful for this, but somehow she wasn't. Somehow, even this happiness had been tainted by that man.

"I thought you'd enjoy a change of scenery. My bedroom isn't very inspiring for budding actresses," he replied. She nodded, letting out shaky breaths.

"It's nice," she said, immediately turning away, ready to step back into the car. Her demons had awakened almost 100% at her realization. Even this he has destroyed for her? Oh, she would get him back. A hand caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"I know what you're thinking," Ren said.

"Really now?" She turned to look at him, anger alit in her face.

"I know you're thinking of him…and I don't like that," he said. She winced as she felt his hand tighten around hers. A moment of fleeting panic hit her.

"And so? I'm so excited about my revenge that I can't stop thinking about him…" the words left her mouth before she could mentally review them. Immediately she felt sick. Had she just admitted to Sho's dominance in her life? Not only that, but her words had obviously angered Ren. His face was livid. She remembered the other night and suddenly she felt as if she was sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"I want you to think about me."

"I…I…I…" She stammered. She was immediately flustered by his declaration. He leaned closer to her and she stepped back, her back pressing against the car. She would not be allowed to move any further away from him. His eyes roamed her body, from her head, down to her covered toes, then back up again.

"Frankly, I'm tired of suppressing myself. And those words you said, were just the last damn straw," he said, leaning even closer toward her. Kyoko's heartbeat picked up and her body felt restless trapped between him and the car. He bent his head and rubbed his cheek against hers before he gently put his lips to her neck…and bit…and sucked. Kyoko let out a soft 'ugh', as she grabbed his shirt, trying to keep her knees from giving way. His mouth was hot against her neck, immediately inciting thoughts that she had almost forgotten. His mouth moved lower and he started the biting and sucking routine all over again. When his tongue drew circles on her skin, she couldn't help the shivers that took over her body.

"Reeeeeenn," she whispered, drawling his name. One hand wrapped around her waist while another weaved its way through her hair. She leaned her head towards his hand, giving him more space to work. He bit again, harder. Kyoko flinched at the momentary pain. It faded away quickly, and was replaced by a throbbing pleasure.

"Are you going to tell me to stop? Because I don't intend to," he said right before he used the tip of his tongue to draw a straight line up her neck.

"I can't…I can't…" Her breath was heavy as her body demanded more.

"You can't think beyond this moment, can you? You can't think beyond me, isn't that right? Right now, there is only me." He was now peering into her eyes, his work on her neck abandoned. She gripped his shirt tighter and pressed her head into his chest.

"What are you?" She asked. Her head was already spinning, naughty thoughts had crowded her brain and all she could think of was Ren, Ren, Ren…and his lips.

"Any time you start thinking about him again, I'll definitely make you stop."

XXX XXX

Kyoko plopped herself in the couch in front of the TV, fresh from the shower. The cool AC touched every inch of her body and she had to admit it felt good. Walking around naked was just one of the perks she received when Ren had to go out for work.

She had arrived at home, by herself, about an hour before. She had been driven back by a driver from LME, while Ren had rushed away to a late night live interview. She was partially happy that he had left her in the apartment alone. It gave her time to think over what had happened earlier and to calm her heart and her mind. On the other hand, she wished he was there with her so that…what was she thinking! A blush blossomed across her cheeks. If Ren was with here right now, then he would most definitely be interested in what she was wearing. Instinctively she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

She sighed. It was very strange. Right now, she felt certain emotions stirring within her and she wasn't doing much to discourage them. She wasn't convinced that it was love, but the way he made her forget everyone but him, the way he knew how to make her body tingle and come alive, the way he spoke to her as if he believed in her and her amateur acting skills…those were things to think about.

"No! No! No! No!" Kyoko shouted as she grabbed her head. What was she thinking? Had her brain been damaged by Tsuruga Ren's kisses? She dropped her hands in realization. Kisses? Uh oh. She rushed back into the bathroom, coming to a stop in front of the mirror, both curious and terrified at what she would find on her neck. Her heart almost stopped when she saw very clearly, three dark red marks on her neck. She sank to the floor. What had she gotten herself into? Had she really allowed and enjoyed him putting his mark on her? What had happened to protecting her heart? What about building her walls up again, firmly?

"And I can hear the ladies scream as none other than Tsuruga Ren walks onto our set!" A loud voice shouted. Kyoko lifted her head. It was on! Ren's interview was on. She glanced in the mirror again, grimacing at the three dangerously obvious marks on her neck. What gave him the right to do them like that? They were just so painfully there! No one would be able to miss it! It was as if he wanted the whole world to see. She grumbled as she made her way back to the TV screen. She would get him back for this.

When she once again flung herself on the couch, Ren was already on. He looked every inch like a celebrity and indeed, there were screams all around as he waved and smiled to the whole of Japan. Kyoko held her breath for a minute. He looked positively radiant on screen.

"Welcome, welcome Tsuruga san to our special event tonight…" one of the hosts began the introduction in a lively voice.

"Rumours Galore!" Both hosts exclaimed, finishing up the introduction and joining the crowd with clapping. Ren bowed to the hosts and then to the audience.

"Please Tsuruga san, have a seat." The second host gestured toward one of the four comfy seats on stage. Ren lowered himself into the seat, not breaking his elegance for a second. He crossed his long legs and sat back, looking completely comfortable in front of all the cameras and in front of all of the people.

"It wasn't an easy task getting Tsuruga san here this evening everyone, seeing as he's just so busy attending other interviews, variety shows and filming. Tsuruga san, what is your current most important activity?

"Filming Dark Moon with Director Ogata. We have all intentions of having this Dark Moon surpass the previous one and I believe that anyone who watches the first episode will notice the difference immediately." A perfect answer.

"Ah, Dark Moon you say? Actually, one of our rumours revolves around the most recent Dark Moon project," the first host said in a 'did you know?' voice.

"Ah, is that so?" Ren responded.

"There has been a rumour spreading like fire through your fan base which says that your acting skills aren't enough to portray the character of Katsuki. Since this is your most active current project Tsuruga san, and we imagine you are giving it 100% of your attention, how do you feel about these rumours popping up? Is there any truth at all in them?" The other host asked. Both of them leaned towards Ren as they waited for his answer.

"They are called rumours for a reason, aren't they?" Ren yet again smiled, not even fazed by the question. Did this man know how to be anything but cool?

"I think that means that these rumours are not at all true! Such a relief Tsuruga san!"

"Then what do you have to say to the rumour mill?"

"One does not know the direction that a drama will take, whether that direction is determined by an influential member of the staff or simply by itself. The way that the drama develops will show the world who is to play the character of Katsuki. However, where the idea and progression of the drama currently stands, I have been seen as 'enough' to portray the role of the Katsuki of that direction." Applause went off. Kyoko felt her mouth drop. Were perfect words the only thing that left this man's mouth?

"I just got a sudden relief after hearing your words Tsuruga san!" One of the hosts said, smiling brightly to the crowd and putting his hand on his chest, right over his heart.

"I am happy to know I've been able to bring good news."

"If only we could have you here for the full show, I'm sure you would bring more relief than we have known for all our lives."

"Well, I wouldn't say that."

"You are such a modest man Tsuruga san, it's no wonder the ladies love you so!"

"And it's no wonder the ladies wonder sooooooo much…" the host's voice trailed off, and Kyoko found herself holding her breath.

"…about whether or not there is someone that Tsuruga san likes…" And the whole audience burst in screaming. Kyoko felt her entire face heat up. They had somehow moved from talking about his career to his love life in the blink of an eye, in such a smooth and unpredicted way. People in show business were monsters.

"Or if there is one that you could possibly like, somewhat of an ideal type of woman." Kyoko's heart immediately picked up speed with its beating. An ideal type? She felt fidgety and nervous.

"Ah, it seems that many are wondering about this," Ren said. Kyoko felt frustration start to eat at the edges of her nervousness. What would his answer be? Would he say yes, that he had found someone he liked and she was living with him at the moment? He was going to admit to the whole of Japan, wasn't he? He was going to say that there was someone he wanted to only think of him. He was, wasn't he? If he mentioned her…how should she feel?

"You have been so unclear about this in the past Tsuruga san. Is today the day you finally tell it to us clearly?" A super inquisitive tone.

"I don't think I will be able to grant further relief with my answer to this question," Ren replied. The hosts leaned in yet again.

"And why is that?"

"Because I do not have an ideal type of woman." The set fell silent. Kyoko's breath came out shaky, her frustration growing greater. Was that good…or bad?

"Does that mean anyone will do?" One of the hosts asked a bit too eagerly.

"Oh no, it just means that to put the attributes of the perfect type of woman into words so suddenly…I don't think I will be able to do such a thing." Kyoko could feel all the blood rush to her face.

"Wooow! Such a charmer. Our lady members of the audience are absolutely fawning over your answers!" Many, many fangirl screams went up into the air.

"Don't forget…is there someone you currently like?" If the hosts leaned in anymore, Kyoko was sure that they would fall right off their seats. Ren threaded his fingers together and lifted his head slightly to the ceiling in a show of thought.

"No," he answered after a few seconds, "there is no one." Kyoko felt breathless and for a few seconds, her lungs refused to work properly. Her shoulders suddenly felt heavy and a volcano of confused emotions erupted in her. Why had he lied? She was sitting there, wasn't she? Right in his apartment. He had bought her, kissed her and tried to claim her…he had believed in her. Didn't that mean that he liked her.

'Stupid, silly little girl…did you start to think that Prince Charmings show up out of the blue like that? That celebrities actually fall for girls with broken lives and broken hearts? You stupid, stupid girl!'

"He doesn't…he doesn't like me?" She muttered aloud, her thoughts screaming 'stupid' at her. She quickly pointed the remote at the TV, turning the power button and switching it off. It hit her like a brick wall…she had been letting him in – into her thoughts, into her already shattered heart. Tsuruga Ren was managing to inch his way in through the back door of her heart. She really was stupid, an absolute idiot stuck on finding a happy ending. Hadn't it been proven already that her life had no happy endings?

What had she been all along then if not someone he liked? How could he say he only wanted her to think of him, yet not even remember her? Was she just a chew toy to run around after until its owner got bored of it?

This was turning out to be a prime example of history repeating itself.

She curled up in a ball on the couch, her mind scattered as she tried to figure out what was going on in Ren's head and what was going on in her heart.

**Heh heh heh. Finally a bit (just a bit) of some Ren x Kyoko action! Weren't you all missing it? :D Plus it was a longer than the usual chapters. Haha. Wellllll, I'm not doing a good job of keeping to the original feeling, but…if you guys enjoy it then I won't feel like much of a failure! Please review and look out for the next chapter hopefully by Sunday! **

**Thanks to those who reviewed:**

**kurokazeryuu, blackcat, mrs. Zala, mikitake, Icy-Kitty117, lizonjoe25, The-lazy-bun, NamesCat, lucy.m.c, dancingfingers, Okami, the two anonymous reviewers and a HUGE THANK YOU TO ROSHELLE DIALL who reviewed all my chapters! Now that made me feel pretty darn awesome! Hope I didn't forget anyone, if I did, I appreciated your review as well!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Happy New Year everyone! Here is my gift to you, the long awaited Chapter 18! Whoooo! This chapter is quite a turning point for our beloved couple :3 and so I think I should bring Sho into this now. :D School is still killing me so forgive me for leaving this fic for so long. I'm thinking about ending it right now so things shouldn't go on for much longer ^_^ Anywho, stay posted to my profile to receive updates about the progress of this fic. Hope this chapter is satisfactory!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat**

_Chapter 18_

Ren sighed as he turned the knob of the door to his apartment. His shoulders felt heavy; there were just so many things he had to worry about, and that night's interview had only brought them to the extreme front of his mind. How had word gotten out about his problems with portraying Katsuki? And what had possessed them to ask about his love life directly after that? He had done all he could to hide his surprise and uneasiness when they had asked those questions back to back. Sadly, it was exactly because of his love life that he had problems with his character.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stepped into the surprisingly lit room. He blinked against the bright lights, his eyes falling immediately on a stiffly sitting Kyoko. She was sitting on a chair strategically placed some feet in front of the door staring at the said door as if her life depended on it.

"You waited all this time for me?" He asked, a small smile itching to burst forth on his lips. He hadn't expected her to wait up so long for him after the exciting day she had just had, with filming her first commercial and whatnot.

"Seems I did. I don't know why though, I don't need your permission to leave, and you don't need to know where I'm going. I guess I stayed, and waited because I was too angry at falling for the same trick twice, too angry to leave without getting revenge first," she said, standing up. Ren did a mental 'huh' as he narrowed his eyes in suspicious confusion.

"I don't know why you're saying this, but I think there is some misunderstanding here," he said, watching her carefully. Angry? Why was she angry at him specifically? He definitely hadn't done anything to make her angry. And she was leaving? She was angry enough to leave?

"You now…even though I try really hard to understand, I just can't. I don't understand why men feel the need to lie and to pretend. Is it just so hard to live an honest life? Is it really that hard living without tearing someone apart? I can't understand! And because I can't understand it makes upset at being lied to and played with! The fact that I stayed here even though I knew you were trying to mess with me makes me ever more upset!" She yelled at him.

"Kyoko! Calm down! What the hell are you talking about?" He yelled back. He hadn't meant to yell, it had just happened. She was accusing him of messing around with her, how could he not get mad at her words?

"What the hell am I talking about? What the hell am I talking about? I'm talking about you walking around here saying you care, and that you're concerned, trying to get into my brain, trying to walk all over me again! Yet when you're out there, nothing like that exists in your life, you're suddenly a man without a heart, you're suddenly someone who has no one special, you're suddenly someone who likes no one! You are disgusting! You are the same filth I've been dealing with all this time, yet you dare to claim that you're not, you dare to pretend that you're a saint who rushes in and saves the poor damsel in distress. I want to be the one to tell you that you've been had, I can see through you!" She yelled once again. Ren was even more confused this time around. Why was she saying all these nasty things to him.

"Kyoko, calm down. You need to explain what's got you upset like this," he said, doing his best to make his appearance seem calm.

"Explain? Explain? You're really asking me to explain? You're unbelievable." And with that she stormed angrily toward him, heading for the door. She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her. He didn't understand what was going on in the slightest and he wasn't going to let them part in the midst of the confusion.

"I really don't know what you're talking about Kyoko. I've never done any of these things."

"Damn you! Were you hoping I hadn't seen it? Your interview where you said you have no one special? That was my cue. Keeping me here as if I'm some kind of property, or is that really how you see me? Something to be manipulated according to your wishes and desires?" She struggled against his grip some more, but he held firm as he absorbed what she had just said.

His interview…

His interview! They had asked him about his love life, about his ideal woman and if he had someone he liked…uh oh.

"Kyoko! Kyoko…you have to understand why I said it…" A slight uneasy desperation settled over Ren. Her reaction was telling him that he had hurt her…he had done the most unforgiveable thing in his own book. Kyoko struggled against his grip, all the while spitting nasty words at him. His uneasy desperation heightened at her resistance. A sharp pain ripped through Ren's chest and he subconsciously gripped Kyoko's arms tighter.

"Ah!" She winced, her body pulling away from his. He loosened his hold completely and Kyoko stumbled backward. She hit the wall softly and Ren felt his body freeze. As he looked at Kyoko, his mind kept repeating what he knew he should do. He should hold her in his arms, apologize, kiss her, love her…but his body refused to react. He couldn't remember a time in his entire life when he had been like this, completely frozen, without any idea of how to react. He had never been like that as Kuon, even more so as Ren. The situation scared him, what if she wouldn't listen to his reason? What if she really made good on her promise and left him?

Kyoko too remained frozen in her place, her breathing heavy from the unbroken string of curses she had just flung at him and from the struggle she had initiated trying to get away from his grip. Ren watched her chest moving up and down, his thoughts failing to become actions, his desperation too much to handle in that moment.

"I won't…no…I can't play this part anymore," she said quietly. Ren's response was silence. What could he do to calm her down? What should he do to make her stay?

"Which is why I'm leaving, and you won't be able to stop me," she said, her eyes connecting with Ren's as she tried to drive her words home. And suddenly, in Ren's mind, something clicked. How had the argument escalated this far without him realizing? Kyoko was upset at him for what he had said on the variety show after all! He had done all he could to keep his love life a secret…but it had upset her. It had upset her that he had not mentioned her when asked about the things concerning her. It had upset her that he had denied her existence. It had upset her that he had hidden her. Her reacting this way could only mean one thing…

"Do you want to be known publicly…as my girlfriend? My woman? My lover?" He asked, his own words surprising him. Kyoko froze again, a look of utter surprise on her face.

"Wh…wh…wh…wha…what?" She stuttered. Ren felt the fluidity return to his body.

"It just occurred to me, the reason you're upset that is. Would you have preferred if I had told them about you? Admitted to the whole world that we live together? That…that I'm most definitely falling for you?" He asked as he took a step toward her.

"N…n…no," she stuttered again, her eyes dropping to the floor. Ren noticed his own shadow engulf her as he came closer to her.

"I can't think of any other reason for you to be upset about it." All of a sudden Kyoko's mood seemed to shift. He could sense that he was out of dangerous waters now, maybe now, he was even on his way to an accomplishment.

"Its…its nothing of the sort. It just made me open my eyes to…" She started.

"Open your eyes to the fact that you too are falling for me?" Ren finished for her. A slight pink colour immediately rose to her cheeks.

"No! No! No! No! No!" She yelled in denial, her brows knitting in her frustration to keep her feelings in. Although she had never said or admitted in any direct verbal form that she liked him, loved him or held any form of the feelings he held for her, he had already picked up on it. Every time she yielded to a kiss, willingly pressing herself into him, accepting his hands and lips on any part of her body, he knew that she was falling, despite what she had said.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes. Do you want me to prove it to you?" He asked as he trapped Kyoko between his body and the wall, using his arms as the cage.

"No. Get away from me." Her voice sounded weak. Couldn't she accept it yet? Couldn't she accept how she felt about him? He felt his frustration and anger heighten. The only reason she was like this was because of the man who had abandoned her love and had abandoned her. The only reason she wasn't allowing herself to completely yield to him was because of that idiot who had hurt her, who had caused her to lose her belief in love.

His lips gently touched hers in a chaste kiss. Her reaction was so immediate that it shocked him. Immediately her lips became soft and accepting under his and her hands gripped his shirt just the tiniest bit. He bit softly on her bottom lip and her back arched in response. How easily she had given herself away. The lips that had been cursing him and denying him a few seconds before had now surrendered themselves to him. He attacked her lips full on, his teasing tongue merely flicking at hers. Hers on the other hand seemed desperate to make contact, desperate to make the kiss deeper. Her hands that had come to grip his shirt seemed to want to take it off and clutch at his skin instead. Her chest that was pressed against his seemed to beg to get closer, and her legs that were just brushing against his seemed to want to wrap themselves around him.

He groaned at the sudden pressure and temptation. While it was always like this with her, kissing her in the midst of her anger directed towards him was turning him on and turning him up. There was just something so sweet about unconfessed feelings. So sweet, so sweet, just like Kyoko's mouth, and Kyoko's neck, and Kyoko's…

A stuttered moan from Kyoko somehow bought him out of his trance. Indeed, his lips had found other places to attend to. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to calm his raging hormones. While he would like to…he would prefer not to. This girl, his Kyoko, deserved more than being a physical partner. She was someone he could talk to, and whose company could delight him. She was someone he wanted to heal, someone he wanted to understand.

"There…you gave yourself away." His words were no more as he let his head fall to her shoulder as he tried to regain his self control. A long pause followed where neither of them said a thing.

"I…I…I can't fall for you," she mumbled, "I just can't." Her voice sounded just about ready to break.

"How can you say that when you already have? Don't you think it's a bit too late for those words now?" He asked as he lifted his head. Her eyes were shining with tears, but none of them had fallen as yet.

"No…it's impossible, impossible." Her head fell onto his shoulder this time around, her hand clutching the sides of his shirt like a child.

"If it's impossible, why can't you let me go right now?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug.

"I…I…I don't know." Her voice was muffled by his shirt. She made no move to push him away.

"I'm sorry Kyoko. I just thought it would be best if you remained hidden for a while, away from the craziness that comes with being with me. I'm sorry, I didn't think it would bother you at all. Plus, call it selfish of me…to want to keep you all to myself, to be involved in something where there is only the two of us…and nothing or nobody else," he explained.

"I'm an idiot. I'm the biggest idiot alive. To want you…what the hell is wrong with me?" It was a muffled outburst. He could feel her shaking from whatever emotions were wrecking havoc within her. He just wanted her, why should she hurt because of that? He pulled her closer. What more could he do to heal her heart?

"Liking someone…loving someone…is nothing wrong Kyoko. There is no sin in those feelings, especially since we both feel it. We both like each other. We're both in this…together. I want you, Kyoko. I want so much of you that you won't be able to satisfy me for a long, long time and I know you want me too, even though you've never said it." Although he had meant to say it quite normally, his voice had come out rather huskily and suggestive. Well, it wasn't like he didn't mean it like that either.

"Idiot…idiot…idiot…" she mumbled miserably to herself. Ren grasped her arms and pulled her away from him so that he could see her face. Although her eyes still glistened with tears, there was not a single tear drop on her cheeks.

"I like you Kyoko, I like you a lot. I won't hurt you, I'm different, I'm so different," he said, trying his best to reassure her. She said no more, just simply nodded.

XXX XXX

Kanae stared at herself in the mirror. She grasped the collar of her t-shirt and pulled it down. It seemed as if her entire chest was covered in bite marks. She lifted the hem of her shirt to examine her stomach. There too had been dutifully bitten. Yashiro had developed a strange obsession with biting…but she liked it.

"Hey, did you sleep?" A sleepy voice came from behind her. She turned her head to look over her shoulder. Yashiro had entered the bathroom, shirtless, his glasses left on the nightstand in his room.

"No…I can't sleep," she answered, her eyes appreciating the parts of him that were bare. He walked over to her, hugging her from behind.

"I…I never intended for all of this to happen," he confessed suddenly. Kanae shook her head.

"It's ok…I'm glad it happened, I missed you." She felt her cheeks heat up. There was something about love that made her different.

"You're really sexy when you're like this," he said, turning her around to face him. She bravely met his eyes, her cheeks pink. He brushed her hair behind her ears.

"I can't apologize enough to you," he said, his eyes falling to the ground, his arms tightening around her. Kanae hugged him back.

"I don't care," she said, pressing her face into his chest.

"But Kanae…" he started.

"I don't care," she repeated.

"Kanae…"

"I don't care!" She exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to be reminded of the time she had spent without him, of the time he had left her behind. He fell silent at her shout. She felt his hands pull her head away from his chest and tilt it up towards him. Then she felt his lips cover hers completely, and she was pulled back into his spell.

**And so our chapter is drawn to a close, setting things off to bring it to a climax and finally the end. Sending out my thanks to all those who reviewed my last chapter:**

**PeytonLeVay, lilkathra, Autumnnostalgia, panda00, The Real Jackie-O, Laura-Ella, Princess Ren, OPFAN, Manga Ren, dancingfingers and my two Guests! Thanks for all the support guys!**


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